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Andi Cutrone #1
Faking It
What happens when a writing professor and a male escort become friends? Thirty-four-year old professor Andi Cutrone has broken up with her fiancé in Massachusetts, moved back to her native New York, and wants to be a better lover. So after meeting Devin, a handsome, charming escort, she proposes an unusual arrangement: lessons about writing in exchange for lessons about sex. When Devin accepts Andi's proposal, he draws up a contract in which the two are forbidden to see each other socially. There's just one problem: Andi also wants Devin. Faking It is a witty, sometimes hilarious, sometimes heart-wrenching story about relationships, writing, and getting real.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2008
603 people are currently reading
2064 people want to read
About the author
Elisa Lorello
18 books212 followersElisa Lorello was born and raised on Long Island, the youngest of seven children. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth and launched a career teaching rhetoric and composition. She has been teaching first-year writing to university students since 2000, but went on sabbatical in fall 2012. Elisa spent six years in North Carolina, where she split her time between teaching and writing, and returned to the northeast in October 2012.
Elisa is the author of the Kindle best-selling novels "Faking It" and "Ordinary World", "Why I Love Singlehood" (co-authored with Sarah Girrell), and "Adulation".
Some of Elisa's favorite pastimes include chocolate, reading, and walking. She is also an avid fan of Duran Duran, pop tarts, and finding the perfect shade of lipstick.
Elisa is the author of the Kindle best-selling novels "Faking It" and "Ordinary World", "Why I Love Singlehood" (co-authored with Sarah Girrell), and "Adulation".
Some of Elisa's favorite pastimes include chocolate, reading, and walking. She is also an avid fan of Duran Duran, pop tarts, and finding the perfect shade of lipstick.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 536 reviews
January 24, 2013
This book sat on my Kindle forever till I finally decided to give it a shot and, boy, am I ever glad I did! I enjoyed this story immensely! This is another example to not judge a book by it's cover -- the reason I held out for so long is because I thought this was going to be something along the lines of Sex and the City garbage but I was in for a nice surpise.
The characters are amazing and their story made me cry almost through the entire book. Their issues are so common that it was easy to relate to both character's pain (even if you didn't experice it yourself, I am sure you know people who have).
Didn't exactly get the ending I was hoping for but was thrilled to see that this book has a sequel.
The characters are amazing and their story made me cry almost through the entire book. Their issues are so common that it was easy to relate to both character's pain (even if you didn't experice it yourself, I am sure you know people who have).
Didn't exactly get the ending I was hoping for but was thrilled to see that this book has a sequel.
April 30, 2012
This book was amazing. I read it in one day, cover to cover (well kindle cover to kindle cover) because I simply could not put it down. The plot really interested me, because it sounded so different - a male escort and a professor? The book was nothing like I what I was expecting. It was so deep and meaningful, I really got to know Devin and Andi so well and I felt like I was inside their story. I also expected the book to be rather erotic, but it was so tasteful and I felt handled the nature of the book very respectfully.
This is such a wonderful, compelling and heartfelt story. I know a lot of people didn't love the ending, and even though it disappointed me - I understood why the author wrote it that way. This is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time and I really want to tell everyone I know to read it as well!
This is such a wonderful, compelling and heartfelt story. I know a lot of people didn't love the ending, and even though it disappointed me - I understood why the author wrote it that way. This is one of the best books I've read in a long, long time and I really want to tell everyone I know to read it as well!
July 14, 2014
5 Fucking Fabulous Stars!!!!!
This book blew me away! Why hasn't more people read it and liked it??? The writing is intelligent. It's sexy. It's heart-breaking. I FELT so much in this book!
Her writing reminds me of Megan Hart, one of my favorite authors.
Please, please, please read this!
This book blew me away! Why hasn't more people read it and liked it??? The writing is intelligent. It's sexy. It's heart-breaking. I FELT so much in this book!
Her writing reminds me of Megan Hart, one of my favorite authors.
Please, please, please read this!
October 31, 2012
What a pleasure to read a romance story where the characters actually have depth, flaws and are NOT in or graduating from college!!!!!!!!!!
At first, it sounds odd, a professor and a male escort, but it is so well writen the story really captured me. Will definitely read other books from Elisa Lorello... Will start the sequel asap :)
At first, it sounds odd, a professor and a male escort, but it is so well writen the story really captured me. Will definitely read other books from Elisa Lorello... Will start the sequel asap :)
March 4, 2013
I bought this for $1 off amazon thinking I didn't have anything to lose although romance novels and chick lit really aren't my "thing." The reviews and descriptions I read gave me hope that it wasn't some cheesy, cliche romance novel. Wrong! Though the buck wasn't a big deal, I want the time I spent reading this back! I didn't even wanna finish it and was done by about 20% into it -- I only finished it because it was short and I hoped it got better.
In short, it was the prevonceived stereotype I had of a romance novel. I didn't think it was particularly well written or interestimg and didn't offer much aside from cliche cheeseball lines.
The plot and characters seemed unrealistic and unrelatable.
As I said, this just isn't my thing to begin with; so while I feel I'm being generous, I'll give it 2 stars -- just in case I ever read anything worse.
In short, it was the prevonceived stereotype I had of a romance novel. I didn't think it was particularly well written or interestimg and didn't offer much aside from cliche cheeseball lines.
The plot and characters seemed unrealistic and unrelatable.
As I said, this just isn't my thing to begin with; so while I feel I'm being generous, I'll give it 2 stars -- just in case I ever read anything worse.
August 21, 2019
***3.75***
Oops! Forgot to add my 2cents.
I did this because I found it in my Audio Library. How did that happen? Dunno. I'm happy I listened to it though. Cynthia Barrett does an excellent job of rendering a credible Long Island accent. The story itself is less of a romance and more of a 'women's lit'.
Andi Cutrone is a writing professor who has come back home to Long Island, after a failed relationship drives her out of Boston. She's teaching in Brooklyn and hoping to become a publisher author in the world of academia. While hobnobbing at a work party she meets beautiful Devin and she's smitten. The only problem is that Devin is a male escort. Over the course of the book Andi & Devin enter into a barter relationship. Andi will teach Devin to write and he will teach her about sex, and how to be at ease in her body. The premise is good and the characters are interesting, however, like always, the female lead sort of disappoints. After being so bold as to hire an escort to sort through long standing sexual hangups, she ends up being quite judgmental and tradition bound as per how she views Devin, and his career choice, but I guess we're all provincial in our own way.
I noted there are some sequels and I'll surely follow up mostly because Devin is an interesting character, and I hope the author explores his story further.
I'd recommend this if you were a fan of Curio and the Curio Vignettes, similar premise but without .
Oops! Forgot to add my 2cents.
I did this because I found it in my Audio Library. How did that happen? Dunno. I'm happy I listened to it though. Cynthia Barrett does an excellent job of rendering a credible Long Island accent. The story itself is less of a romance and more of a 'women's lit'.
Andi Cutrone is a writing professor who has come back home to Long Island, after a failed relationship drives her out of Boston. She's teaching in Brooklyn and hoping to become a publisher author in the world of academia. While hobnobbing at a work party she meets beautiful Devin and she's smitten. The only problem is that Devin is a male escort. Over the course of the book Andi & Devin enter into a barter relationship. Andi will teach Devin to write and he will teach her about sex, and how to be at ease in her body. The premise is good and the characters are interesting, however, like always, the female lead sort of disappoints. After being so bold as to hire an escort to sort through long standing sexual hangups, she ends up being quite judgmental and tradition bound as per how she views Devin, and his career choice, but I guess we're all provincial in our own way.
I noted there are some sequels and I'll surely follow up mostly because Devin is an interesting character, and I hope the author explores his story further.
I'd recommend this if you were a fan of Curio and the Curio Vignettes, similar premise but without .
August 18, 2011
This book jumped up on my "to read" list simply because I kept getting "Lendle" requests for others to borrow my book. By the time I would respond to the request, someone already lent it out (therefore I coudl not). This intrigued me. Why was this so highly requested?
I definitely judged the book by it's cover. The title "Faking It" hinted me towards a Chick Lit book about sex. This book was so much more than that. It's about Andi, a PhD lit professor, who meets Devin, a professional (and total hot) escort. They exchange lessons: Andi will teach him about composition and rhetoric and Devin will teach her about sex, relationships, and overcoming her insecurities. Sounds like a light, heart-felt read. And then as the sessions progress, Lorello begins to peel the layers of Andi's story. She uses flashbacks of Andi's childhood, giving the reader a chance to fully understand why Andi is the way she is (often called prude by her peers). Lorello kept me interested in Devin because I always felt I needed to read to figure out who he is. She kept him very mysterious until towards the end when she finally made him the narrator. It was a nice little twist.
I also liked that Andi was smart. She was not flaky at all. A lot of romance novels are very much like a fairy tale. This, however, I could absolutely picture being a true life story. Andi was one of my friends. I even thought about her after I read the book. Yeah, this book was THAT thought-provoking for me. I had to take breaks to cry and simply think about my own insecurities, desires, and wants. Did I expect that from a book called, "Faking It"? Nope.
I also liked that the book was written in dialogue, rather than narration.
The ending of the book felt unfinished. I originally gave it only 4 stars because of this. How dare Lorello end the story so abruptly. I had so many questions. Sigh.
And then I Googled "Elisa Lorello" and discovered that there was a sequel to the book! And that's when I shrieked and immediately bought "Ordinary World". I'm currently 25% through that book and I'm re-falling in love with Andi again. You'll have to wait a few more days to find out why. :)
I definitely judged the book by it's cover. The title "Faking It" hinted me towards a Chick Lit book about sex. This book was so much more than that. It's about Andi, a PhD lit professor, who meets Devin, a professional (and total hot) escort. They exchange lessons: Andi will teach him about composition and rhetoric and Devin will teach her about sex, relationships, and overcoming her insecurities. Sounds like a light, heart-felt read. And then as the sessions progress, Lorello begins to peel the layers of Andi's story. She uses flashbacks of Andi's childhood, giving the reader a chance to fully understand why Andi is the way she is (often called prude by her peers). Lorello kept me interested in Devin because I always felt I needed to read to figure out who he is. She kept him very mysterious until towards the end when she finally made him the narrator. It was a nice little twist.
I also liked that Andi was smart. She was not flaky at all. A lot of romance novels are very much like a fairy tale. This, however, I could absolutely picture being a true life story. Andi was one of my friends. I even thought about her after I read the book. Yeah, this book was THAT thought-provoking for me. I had to take breaks to cry and simply think about my own insecurities, desires, and wants. Did I expect that from a book called, "Faking It"? Nope.
I also liked that the book was written in dialogue, rather than narration.
The ending of the book felt unfinished. I originally gave it only 4 stars because of this. How dare Lorello end the story so abruptly. I had so many questions. Sigh.
And then I Googled "Elisa Lorello" and discovered that there was a sequel to the book! And that's when I shrieked and immediately bought "Ordinary World". I'm currently 25% through that book and I'm re-falling in love with Andi again. You'll have to wait a few more days to find out why. :)
June 16, 2014
I need to not buy random cheap books off Amazon at 3 am anymore.
February 1, 2013
FAKING IT appears, at first glance, to be an a-typical Women’s Fiction novel. The heroine, Andi Cutrone, is a mid-thirties English professor who decides to hire an escort named Devin to teach her to be a better lover in exchange for writing lessons. Sounds like something that rhymes with Blipty Trades of Shey, right?
Wrong.
It’s not even almost the same thing.
I started reading FAKING IT at 7:30am on a Saturday and finished by 9:30am (I read quickly). In fact, my tea went cold and I forgot to eat breakfast. Yes, it was so good that I forgot I was hungry and let’s just say that it takes a lot for me to forget I’m hungry. Mostly because I always am.
In those two hours, I laughed, cried a bit, and felt my little Grinch-y heart swell on more than one occasion. Andi was a lovable, vulnerable character who also had guts, a solid backbone, and a fantastic sense of humour while her counterpart, Devin, was pretty much one of the best male characters ever.
The best way I can describe FAKING IT is to compare it to the beloved nursery story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." You see, I love Women’s Fiction. Heck, I write it myself! As such, I’m constantly devouring titles in order to better my craft—hoping to get swept away on a woman’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Often, though, the fit isn’t quite right.
Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah's novels are full of tales where frequently blue heroines discover something major that changes their lives. Often times, though, I don't totally relate them. Also, I don’t really like to sob my face off cry. These books are too sad for me to read all of the time.
Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella's books are hilarious, bursting with witty and smart dialogue but sometimes, the stakes aren’t high enough and I’m left wanting more. These books don’t always hold me hostage, making me forget that I have things to do—forcing me to read them in one sitting.
Elisa Lorello, though, created a perfect mix of plot, sympathetic characters with real issues, enough f-bombs to make me smile, and a touching and very believable relationship between two lost people who are trying to get their shit together. I say "people" because within a few chapters, they became real to me and I watched them with fascination like a non-creepy voyeur as they guided each other towards fresh perspectives. Yes, this book was juuuuuust right.
I’m not going to go into great detail on how the story develops in unexpected ways because…well…that would be mean. I will, however, say that FAKING IT is totally worth the meager three dollars. And the best part is that there's a sequel AND two other books! YAY!
So, guys and gals, you really need to go and buy it.
BUY IT RIGHT NOW!
And another super-cool thing about Ms. Lorello is that if you choose to have one of her books for your book club, she’ll join you in a Skype chat-session! For reals! How freaking awesome is that?
But seriously. Buy FAKING IT. You won’t regret it.
Wrong.
It’s not even almost the same thing.
I started reading FAKING IT at 7:30am on a Saturday and finished by 9:30am (I read quickly). In fact, my tea went cold and I forgot to eat breakfast. Yes, it was so good that I forgot I was hungry and let’s just say that it takes a lot for me to forget I’m hungry. Mostly because I always am.
In those two hours, I laughed, cried a bit, and felt my little Grinch-y heart swell on more than one occasion. Andi was a lovable, vulnerable character who also had guts, a solid backbone, and a fantastic sense of humour while her counterpart, Devin, was pretty much one of the best male characters ever.
The best way I can describe FAKING IT is to compare it to the beloved nursery story of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." You see, I love Women’s Fiction. Heck, I write it myself! As such, I’m constantly devouring titles in order to better my craft—hoping to get swept away on a woman’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Often, though, the fit isn’t quite right.
Jodi Picoult and Kristin Hannah's novels are full of tales where frequently blue heroines discover something major that changes their lives. Often times, though, I don't totally relate them. Also, I don’t really like to sob my face off cry. These books are too sad for me to read all of the time.
Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella's books are hilarious, bursting with witty and smart dialogue but sometimes, the stakes aren’t high enough and I’m left wanting more. These books don’t always hold me hostage, making me forget that I have things to do—forcing me to read them in one sitting.
Elisa Lorello, though, created a perfect mix of plot, sympathetic characters with real issues, enough f-bombs to make me smile, and a touching and very believable relationship between two lost people who are trying to get their shit together. I say "people" because within a few chapters, they became real to me and I watched them with fascination like a non-creepy voyeur as they guided each other towards fresh perspectives. Yes, this book was juuuuuust right.
I’m not going to go into great detail on how the story develops in unexpected ways because…well…that would be mean. I will, however, say that FAKING IT is totally worth the meager three dollars. And the best part is that there's a sequel AND two other books! YAY!
So, guys and gals, you really need to go and buy it.
BUY IT RIGHT NOW!
And another super-cool thing about Ms. Lorello is that if you choose to have one of her books for your book club, she’ll join you in a Skype chat-session! For reals! How freaking awesome is that?
But seriously. Buy FAKING IT. You won’t regret it.
January 31, 2019
OMG you guys.
I need to rant about one of the books I'm reading - "Faking It" by Elisa Lorello.
It's a typical trashy beach novel, revolving around Andi, a repressed literature professor. She sets up an arrangement with a male escort, Devin: for X number of weeks, she'll teach him about literature and he'll teach her how to be a better lover.
Which, you know, would make a great fanfic AU.
But OMG there are parts that are torture
They write up a contract before they begin, which says that if either of them break the contract, they owe the other the full cost of their services.
They are forbidden from falling in love with each other (coughcoughlike that's gonna lastcoughcough), and to that end, the contract also says they aren't supposed to contact each other socially or hang out together outside of their weekly "lessons"
But.... of course... several weeks into their arrangement, he calls her and invites her to an art museum, and she agrees... which evolves into frequent social meetings and daily phone calls.
And she's pathetically pining after him in her head, to the point of mentally chanting "kiss me kiss me please kiss me" at one point when they're embracing.
Which, DUH, HE'S A PROFESSIONAL ESCORT, HE'S NOT GONNA KISS YOU.
Also, THAT WOULD BE A BREECH OF THE CONTRACT. HE'S A GODDAMN PROFESSIONAL.
But then again, he keeps breeching the contract by calling her and asking her out on platonic 'dates', so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Okay, so...
The part that got me really ranty now, is that Andi is at a (bar?) with friends and in comes Devin
And he's "working", with another teacher Andi knows. And Andi mentally goes off on the MOST JEALOUS AND POSSESSIVE STREAK I'VE EVER READ (outside of a deliberate stalker!fic)
Not only does she mentally insult the other woman, from her hair dye job to her wardrobe to her body to her teaching skills
but she immediately gets uptight and snippy that Devin is there with someone else.
EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS LITERALLY NO CLAIM OVER HIM
IT'S NOT LIKE SHE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS STILL WORKING. Part of her lesson plan was for him to keep a journal, and he sometimes wrote about the women he escorted.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR ARRANGEMENT THAT SHE'S ~SEEN~ HIM WORKING, so of COURSE she's jealous as hell
She's comparing seeing Devon "working" with that time she ran into her Ex and his new Fiancé... headdesk
I can barely stand how catty and bitchy Andi is being in this scene.
TAKE A CHILL PILL, GIRL. DEVIN IS NOT YOURS. YOU HAVE NO CLAIM ON HIM. YOU AGREED TO THIS, AND YOU KNEW FULL WELL WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO.
He does NOT deserve the cold shoulder... if you were afraid of what people would think, you shouldn't have befriended him in the first place, Andi.
~*~
OH, GOD
OH GOD EW EW EW
We've reached the last romance lesson, a 'date' between Andi and Devin, and I am squicking hard.
Devin said at the beginning of the book that he doesn't PIV his clients, but this final date is shaping more and more like they're gonna fuck.
As things start moving towards the bedroom, he surprises her with a gift.
It's a leopard print vibrator.
She's... surprised.
"Haven't you ever used a vibrator before?" he asks. She doesn't respond. "Haven't you ever seen one?"
THESE ARE NOT THINGS YOU WAIT UNTIL THE LAST LESSON TO GO OVER
And of course she likes the leopard print... AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW, THEY MATCH THE VICTORIA'S SECRET UNDERWEAR SHE DECIDED TO WEAR THAT NIGHT.
cringecringecringe
So now things are getting intimate... he's removed her underwear and stockings...
and during this entire process, she's reliving flashbacks of her repressed childhood of everytime she was shamed or shunned for anything remotely sexual...
cringecringecringe
BUT
THE KICKER
ARE YOU READY
After several repressed memory flashbacks, she tells him to stop. And he does, because he's a fucking professional and a decent excuse for a man.
AND THEN
SHE TELLS HIM SHE'S A VIRGIN.
THIS IS NOT INFORMATION HE SHOULD BE LEARNING DURING THE FINAL EXAM
THIS IS FUCKING FIRST SESSION INFORMATION
THIS IS INFORMATION HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED BEFORE HE EVEN STARTED THINKING ABOUT TEACHING HER HOW TO BE A BETTER LOVER
JFC
THIS BOOK IS KILLING ME
ANDI NEEDS PROPER SEX EDUCATION AND A THERAPIST STAT
I'm less flabbergasted that she's a ~virgin~ and more by the fact that DEVIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS WHEN THE ARRANGEMENT FIRST STARTED.
AT LEAST PART OF ONE LESSON SHOULD HAVE INVOLVED GOING OVER PAST SEXUAL EXPERIENCES AND MASTURBATING.
AT WHICH POINT VIBRATORS COULD HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
SO MANY REPRESSED MEMORIES HOMG YES SHE NEEDS A THERAPIST
BUT YOU KNOW IN THE END DEVIN'S LOVE WILL HEEEEEAAAAALLLL HER
uggggghhhhh
The painful thing is that there are some really good messages in this book
but they're packed in with some really awful mental processes too...
Andi has some deep-seated issues
She's dated 5 guys and they've all dumped her
After she relives her repressed memories and tearfully tells Devin to stop mid-sex, she recounts to him all her flashbacks.
DEVIN IS NOT YOUR THERAPIST, ANDI.
Devin says stuff to make her feel better, which leads to this teeth-rotting line:
His words soaked into my skin and circulated through my blood like an antibiotic, cleansing and washing away every prudish prevarication that imprisoned my innocence.
uggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh
aaaaaaand then they kiss and proceed to fuck
gdi devin
if a 34 yr old woman breaks down in tears mid-foreplay and then reveals she's a virgin and word-vomits her entire repressed history to you, YOU DO NOT PROCEED TO FUCK HER THAT EVENING. For God's sake, at least give her 24 hrs to process her emotions and decide to lose her virginity with a clear head.
We are 56% finished with the book and the arrangement is complete. I'm scared about what the rest of the book will hold, other than the obvious Andi wrestling with obsession with Devin, and Devin deciding if he really wants to quit escorting and become a painter so he can be with Andi full time.
~*~
I'm not sure if I'm more angry at the book for making Andi go "I'm ready now" and then doing a fade-to-curtains, or more angry at myself for assuming that they had PIV sex.
Either way, my respect for Devin went up a little
Because they didn't, indeed, fuck all the way during her "final" test. But apparently he did use the vibrator on her.
After the "final" their arrangement is complete, but they continue to be friends and hang out.
Ooo! Devin isn't his real name! Devin tells her that his real name is David.
Andi has come to terms that she loves Devin, and also that it would be silly to expect him to love her back.
months pass
They get into an argument, but make up.
Still, more time passes, and then it's the holidays.
Devin is being kept super busy, and Andi is busy herself as she's publishing a textbook with a friend.
Andi and Devin start hanging out less, and talking on the phone less often. Without telling anyone, Andi starts applying to job in other cities.
Andi attends a conference, and pointedly avoids a bunch of cocktail parties and mixers because she doesn't want to run into Devin working
At one of these conferences, enters Handsome Professor Dude.
Handsome Prof writes articles that Andi read when she was working on her (PHD?)(edited)
Handsome Prof's eyes are very blue.
Handsome Prof is quite taken with Andi. They hang out in the hotel's bar and chat.... he's funny, shares her interests, and they stay in contact after the convention.
Whaddya know, Handsome Prof lives in one of the cities that Andi applied for a job.
Andi emails back and forth with Handsome Prof, and he invites her to his house for the weekend. She goes. He tells her he loves her (and doesn't expect any response - what a gentleman!). Andi's pretty sure she loves him too, but isn't quite ready to say it. What she is ready for, is sex.
But oh! Handsome Professor stops her!
He says he likes her too much to have sex with her and then send her back to New York. He wants a serious relationship with her, and he wants to wait for sex until she's serious about him too.
Both Andi and I crack up laughing.
Handsome Prof is a little surprised by the laughter, and Andi explains her sexual history to him... leaving out Devin.
She still hasn't told Devin about Handsome Prof either.
Our girl has got herself into a bit of a bind.
At this point, I think she's been offered the job in the city where Handsome Prof lives, and she's accepted. Now she has to find a way to tell Devin that she's moving away...
~*~
Welp
I'm skeeved out again
Andi met with Devin to tell him that she's moving away... she also dropped the bomb on him that she loved him... before he could really respond, he got a phone call and had to leave. Turns out his dad is passing away. He's not returning her calls, so she contacts his business partner and wheedles the info about the funeral out from him. She also uses Devin's last name to search obituaries so she can find the service. She shows up uninvited to his father's funeral, and he actually seems to be glad she's there, even though she's not sitting near him.
And then she goes to the wake, and helps the other women clean up and pack away the leftovers, before finding Devin's niece drawing by herself, and settling down to draw with her.
(Devin is, of course, rather taken by Andi befriending his niece).
Then Andi offers to let Devin sleep over at her place (because it's closer to where the funeral was than his own place I think?) and he accepts. He cries, she comforts him, and then they have sex. I confirmed it was actually sex this time, they "made love" several times that night.
I'm kinda disappointed in Andi now for losing her virginity to Devin while he's emotionally vulnerable, while she's already getting serious with Hot Prof.
~*~
oh my god
First things first: Andi, the morning after is not the best time for you to ponder whether sleeping with Devin is technically cheating on Hot Prof.
Second, sex has not changed her mind, she's still moving to Boston for her job & boyfriend. Devin waits until the day she finished packing to tell her he loves her and asks her to stay. she doesn't stay.
Third, we have now jumped eighteenish months into the future. Andi and Hot Prof are engaged and fucking like bunnies.
we are officially 98% finished with the book, and I allowed myself to slip unto a false sense of security.
woe is me
Andi and Prof read a great review about an interesting art show in Boston, and decide to check it out.
the artist's name was NOT David.
i thought I was safe.
They are checking out the art, and who shows up at the art reception but Devin/David.(edited)
who, it turns out, not only sold his "previous business", not only moved to Boston, not only co-bought an art studio, but also WROTE THE FUCKING ART REVIEW THAT WAS IN THE PAPER. HE IS USING THE WRITING SKILLS ANDI TAUGHT HIM AND IS NO LONGER ESCORTING.
WE HAVE 2% OF THE BOOK LEFT.
DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
HE'S A ~WRITER~ NOW.
HEAVEN HELP ME
HER LEAVING NEW YORK MADE HIM LOSE INTEREST IN ESCORTING.
time jump again, two weeks this time.
(all these time jumps make my head hurt.)
Devin and Andi are having coffee together.
Andi's wedding date to Hot Prof is set for a year away.
that's a lot of time for things to go wrong and for Devin to try to win her back...(edited)
Devin asks her how the sex is with Hot Prof. Andi says "fucking fantastic", and they both share a giggle.
HOLY FUCK
FADE TO BLACK.
THE BOOK IS OVER, AND SHE'S STILL WITH HOT PROF
ALTHOUGH SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A SEQUEL
HOLY FUCK
GUYS
ITS A FOUR BOOK SERIES
ANDI MARRIES HOT PROF
BUT IN BOOK TWO, HOT PROF DIES IN A (CAR?) ACCIDENT AND ANDI RUNS INTO DEVIN AGAIN WHILE SHE'S MOURNING IN ITALY.
WHAT
THE
FUCK
IN BOOK THREE, DAVID WANTS TO MARRY ANDI, WHEN A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL SHOWS UP THAT IS EITHER DAVID'S LONG LOST DAUGHTER OR SOME KIND OF ESTRANGLED RELATION. AND APPARENTLY ANDI GETS CLOSE TO HER ASSHOLE EX-FIANCE AGAIN? WTF.
BOOK 3 IS TITLED "SHE HAS YOUR EYES", WHICH IS WHY I'M ASSUMING DAUGHTER THAT DAVID NEVER KNEW EXISTED.
OKAY, YEAH, DAUGHTER.
BOOK FOUR IS A SPINNOFF ABOUT THE DAUGHTER'S LIFE.
this series is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
(Oh, and David/Devin and Andi are married by book Four, if anyone was rooting for them.)
I need to rant about one of the books I'm reading - "Faking It" by Elisa Lorello.
It's a typical trashy beach novel, revolving around Andi, a repressed literature professor. She sets up an arrangement with a male escort, Devin: for X number of weeks, she'll teach him about literature and he'll teach her how to be a better lover.
Which, you know, would make a great fanfic AU.
But OMG there are parts that are torture
They write up a contract before they begin, which says that if either of them break the contract, they owe the other the full cost of their services.
They are forbidden from falling in love with each other (coughcoughlike that's gonna lastcoughcough), and to that end, the contract also says they aren't supposed to contact each other socially or hang out together outside of their weekly "lessons"
But.... of course... several weeks into their arrangement, he calls her and invites her to an art museum, and she agrees... which evolves into frequent social meetings and daily phone calls.
And she's pathetically pining after him in her head, to the point of mentally chanting "kiss me kiss me please kiss me" at one point when they're embracing.
Which, DUH, HE'S A PROFESSIONAL ESCORT, HE'S NOT GONNA KISS YOU.
Also, THAT WOULD BE A BREECH OF THE CONTRACT. HE'S A GODDAMN PROFESSIONAL.
But then again, he keeps breeching the contract by calling her and asking her out on platonic 'dates', so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Okay, so...
The part that got me really ranty now, is that Andi is at a (bar?) with friends and in comes Devin
And he's "working", with another teacher Andi knows. And Andi mentally goes off on the MOST JEALOUS AND POSSESSIVE STREAK I'VE EVER READ (outside of a deliberate stalker!fic)
Not only does she mentally insult the other woman, from her hair dye job to her wardrobe to her body to her teaching skills
but she immediately gets uptight and snippy that Devin is there with someone else.
EVEN THOUGH SHE HAS LITERALLY NO CLAIM OVER HIM
IT'S NOT LIKE SHE DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS STILL WORKING. Part of her lesson plan was for him to keep a journal, and he sometimes wrote about the women he escorted.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME SINCE THEIR ARRANGEMENT THAT SHE'S ~SEEN~ HIM WORKING, so of COURSE she's jealous as hell
She's comparing seeing Devon "working" with that time she ran into her Ex and his new Fiancé... headdesk
I can barely stand how catty and bitchy Andi is being in this scene.
TAKE A CHILL PILL, GIRL. DEVIN IS NOT YOURS. YOU HAVE NO CLAIM ON HIM. YOU AGREED TO THIS, AND YOU KNEW FULL WELL WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO.
He does NOT deserve the cold shoulder... if you were afraid of what people would think, you shouldn't have befriended him in the first place, Andi.
~*~
OH, GOD
OH GOD EW EW EW
We've reached the last romance lesson, a 'date' between Andi and Devin, and I am squicking hard.
Devin said at the beginning of the book that he doesn't PIV his clients, but this final date is shaping more and more like they're gonna fuck.
As things start moving towards the bedroom, he surprises her with a gift.
It's a leopard print vibrator.
She's... surprised.
"Haven't you ever used a vibrator before?" he asks. She doesn't respond. "Haven't you ever seen one?"
THESE ARE NOT THINGS YOU WAIT UNTIL THE LAST LESSON TO GO OVER
And of course she likes the leopard print... AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW, THEY MATCH THE VICTORIA'S SECRET UNDERWEAR SHE DECIDED TO WEAR THAT NIGHT.
cringecringecringe
So now things are getting intimate... he's removed her underwear and stockings...
and during this entire process, she's reliving flashbacks of her repressed childhood of everytime she was shamed or shunned for anything remotely sexual...
cringecringecringe
BUT
THE KICKER
ARE YOU READY
After several repressed memory flashbacks, she tells him to stop. And he does, because he's a fucking professional and a decent excuse for a man.
AND THEN
SHE TELLS HIM SHE'S A VIRGIN.
THIS IS NOT INFORMATION HE SHOULD BE LEARNING DURING THE FINAL EXAM
THIS IS FUCKING FIRST SESSION INFORMATION
THIS IS INFORMATION HE SHOULD HAVE ASKED BEFORE HE EVEN STARTED THINKING ABOUT TEACHING HER HOW TO BE A BETTER LOVER
JFC
THIS BOOK IS KILLING ME
ANDI NEEDS PROPER SEX EDUCATION AND A THERAPIST STAT
I'm less flabbergasted that she's a ~virgin~ and more by the fact that DEVIN SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS WHEN THE ARRANGEMENT FIRST STARTED.
AT LEAST PART OF ONE LESSON SHOULD HAVE INVOLVED GOING OVER PAST SEXUAL EXPERIENCES AND MASTURBATING.
AT WHICH POINT VIBRATORS COULD HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
SO MANY REPRESSED MEMORIES HOMG YES SHE NEEDS A THERAPIST
BUT YOU KNOW IN THE END DEVIN'S LOVE WILL HEEEEEAAAAALLLL HER
uggggghhhhh
The painful thing is that there are some really good messages in this book
but they're packed in with some really awful mental processes too...
Andi has some deep-seated issues
She's dated 5 guys and they've all dumped her
After she relives her repressed memories and tearfully tells Devin to stop mid-sex, she recounts to him all her flashbacks.
DEVIN IS NOT YOUR THERAPIST, ANDI.
Devin says stuff to make her feel better, which leads to this teeth-rotting line:
His words soaked into my skin and circulated through my blood like an antibiotic, cleansing and washing away every prudish prevarication that imprisoned my innocence.
uggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh
aaaaaaand then they kiss and proceed to fuck
gdi devin
if a 34 yr old woman breaks down in tears mid-foreplay and then reveals she's a virgin and word-vomits her entire repressed history to you, YOU DO NOT PROCEED TO FUCK HER THAT EVENING. For God's sake, at least give her 24 hrs to process her emotions and decide to lose her virginity with a clear head.
We are 56% finished with the book and the arrangement is complete. I'm scared about what the rest of the book will hold, other than the obvious Andi wrestling with obsession with Devin, and Devin deciding if he really wants to quit escorting and become a painter so he can be with Andi full time.
~*~
I'm not sure if I'm more angry at the book for making Andi go "I'm ready now" and then doing a fade-to-curtains, or more angry at myself for assuming that they had PIV sex.
Either way, my respect for Devin went up a little
Because they didn't, indeed, fuck all the way during her "final" test. But apparently he did use the vibrator on her.
After the "final" their arrangement is complete, but they continue to be friends and hang out.
Ooo! Devin isn't his real name! Devin tells her that his real name is David.
Andi has come to terms that she loves Devin, and also that it would be silly to expect him to love her back.
months pass
They get into an argument, but make up.
Still, more time passes, and then it's the holidays.
Devin is being kept super busy, and Andi is busy herself as she's publishing a textbook with a friend.
Andi and Devin start hanging out less, and talking on the phone less often. Without telling anyone, Andi starts applying to job in other cities.
Andi attends a conference, and pointedly avoids a bunch of cocktail parties and mixers because she doesn't want to run into Devin working
At one of these conferences, enters Handsome Professor Dude.
Handsome Prof writes articles that Andi read when she was working on her (PHD?)(edited)
Handsome Prof's eyes are very blue.
Handsome Prof is quite taken with Andi. They hang out in the hotel's bar and chat.... he's funny, shares her interests, and they stay in contact after the convention.
Whaddya know, Handsome Prof lives in one of the cities that Andi applied for a job.
Andi emails back and forth with Handsome Prof, and he invites her to his house for the weekend. She goes. He tells her he loves her (and doesn't expect any response - what a gentleman!). Andi's pretty sure she loves him too, but isn't quite ready to say it. What she is ready for, is sex.
But oh! Handsome Professor stops her!
He says he likes her too much to have sex with her and then send her back to New York. He wants a serious relationship with her, and he wants to wait for sex until she's serious about him too.
Both Andi and I crack up laughing.
Handsome Prof is a little surprised by the laughter, and Andi explains her sexual history to him... leaving out Devin.
She still hasn't told Devin about Handsome Prof either.
Our girl has got herself into a bit of a bind.
At this point, I think she's been offered the job in the city where Handsome Prof lives, and she's accepted. Now she has to find a way to tell Devin that she's moving away...
~*~
Welp
I'm skeeved out again
Andi met with Devin to tell him that she's moving away... she also dropped the bomb on him that she loved him... before he could really respond, he got a phone call and had to leave. Turns out his dad is passing away. He's not returning her calls, so she contacts his business partner and wheedles the info about the funeral out from him. She also uses Devin's last name to search obituaries so she can find the service. She shows up uninvited to his father's funeral, and he actually seems to be glad she's there, even though she's not sitting near him.
And then she goes to the wake, and helps the other women clean up and pack away the leftovers, before finding Devin's niece drawing by herself, and settling down to draw with her.
(Devin is, of course, rather taken by Andi befriending his niece).
Then Andi offers to let Devin sleep over at her place (because it's closer to where the funeral was than his own place I think?) and he accepts. He cries, she comforts him, and then they have sex. I confirmed it was actually sex this time, they "made love" several times that night.
I'm kinda disappointed in Andi now for losing her virginity to Devin while he's emotionally vulnerable, while she's already getting serious with Hot Prof.
~*~
oh my god
First things first: Andi, the morning after is not the best time for you to ponder whether sleeping with Devin is technically cheating on Hot Prof.
Second, sex has not changed her mind, she's still moving to Boston for her job & boyfriend. Devin waits until the day she finished packing to tell her he loves her and asks her to stay. she doesn't stay.
Third, we have now jumped eighteenish months into the future. Andi and Hot Prof are engaged and fucking like bunnies.
we are officially 98% finished with the book, and I allowed myself to slip unto a false sense of security.
woe is me
Andi and Prof read a great review about an interesting art show in Boston, and decide to check it out.
the artist's name was NOT David.
i thought I was safe.
They are checking out the art, and who shows up at the art reception but Devin/David.(edited)
who, it turns out, not only sold his "previous business", not only moved to Boston, not only co-bought an art studio, but also WROTE THE FUCKING ART REVIEW THAT WAS IN THE PAPER. HE IS USING THE WRITING SKILLS ANDI TAUGHT HIM AND IS NO LONGER ESCORTING.
WE HAVE 2% OF THE BOOK LEFT.
DANGER, DANGER WILL ROBINSON!
HE'S A ~WRITER~ NOW.
HEAVEN HELP ME
HER LEAVING NEW YORK MADE HIM LOSE INTEREST IN ESCORTING.
time jump again, two weeks this time.
(all these time jumps make my head hurt.)
Devin and Andi are having coffee together.
Andi's wedding date to Hot Prof is set for a year away.
that's a lot of time for things to go wrong and for Devin to try to win her back...(edited)
Devin asks her how the sex is with Hot Prof. Andi says "fucking fantastic", and they both share a giggle.
HOLY FUCK
FADE TO BLACK.
THE BOOK IS OVER, AND SHE'S STILL WITH HOT PROF
ALTHOUGH SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A SEQUEL
HOLY FUCK
GUYS
ITS A FOUR BOOK SERIES
ANDI MARRIES HOT PROF
BUT IN BOOK TWO, HOT PROF DIES IN A (CAR?) ACCIDENT AND ANDI RUNS INTO DEVIN AGAIN WHILE SHE'S MOURNING IN ITALY.
WHAT
THE
FUCK
IN BOOK THREE, DAVID WANTS TO MARRY ANDI, WHEN A FIFTEEN YEAR OLD GIRL SHOWS UP THAT IS EITHER DAVID'S LONG LOST DAUGHTER OR SOME KIND OF ESTRANGLED RELATION. AND APPARENTLY ANDI GETS CLOSE TO HER ASSHOLE EX-FIANCE AGAIN? WTF.
BOOK 3 IS TITLED "SHE HAS YOUR EYES", WHICH IS WHY I'M ASSUMING DAUGHTER THAT DAVID NEVER KNEW EXISTED.
OKAY, YEAH, DAUGHTER.
BOOK FOUR IS A SPINNOFF ABOUT THE DAUGHTER'S LIFE.
this series is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
(Oh, and David/Devin and Andi are married by book Four, if anyone was rooting for them.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
August 18, 2017bored. to. tears.
March 22, 2017
This book was cute. The characters were lovable and endearing. The story kept right on moving at a nice brisk pace. I'll read this author again but I think I've had just the right amount of the Andi Cutrone character. I could be wrong but I think I'd be tired of her before I got through another novel about her.
July 5, 2011
A professor and a male escort teach each other. It kept my interest but was lacking emotional fulfillment.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I love romance novels which is the angle I’m coming from. This does not provide emotional fulfillment. It’s women’s fiction about finding love. It’s also about a woman who is insecure about her body and afraid of sex. She overcomes her insecurities. At the end of this book I felt some pain and sadness about one relationship. I also felt some comfort about another relationship. But the sadness feeling was stronger than the comfort feeling. The ending did not leave me feeling satisfied. Things felt unfinished. I had hoped the sequel (Ordinary World) would make things better but it didn’t. Someone dies at the beginning of Ordinary World and the entire book is Andi grieving. The sequel depressed me. Maybe someone experiencing grief might like it better than I did. So, the sequel is not the way to get the happy ending I wanted for Faking It.
The story has the flavor of unrequited love. It is told in first person by Andi. She falls in love with Devin very quickly. But we never see Devin’s point of view. (Ok, we did read an entry in his personal journal once, but it wasn’t enough.) It appears that he does not fall in love with Andi, but that he sincerely cares for her. She’s insecure about her appearance, he’s movie-star handsome, and he doesn’t return her feelings which adds some insecurity and sadness.
In this book there was a fair amount of talk about the craft of writing and authors like Plato and sophists. It wasn’t done in a way that interested me. I read through those parts quickly without much thought. More entertaining or colorful illustrations of her points might have helped.
STORY BRIEF:
Andi has a PhD and teaches writing. She feels overweight and has low self-esteem. She was afraid to have sex so her fiancé broke up with her. She found a new job and moved to New York. She meets Devin, a male escort. He pleases women with companionship, attention, massages, and sensuality. He never has sex with his clients, but he uses sex toys to bring sexual pleasure to them. Andi can’t afford Devin, but she asks if he will barter with her. She will teach him to write if he will teach her to shed her sexual inhibitions. He agrees. Maybe a third of the book is about their lessons with each other. Her lessons are mostly about her feelings about herself and her body. They are not sex scenes. They also have a growing friendship outside of the lessons.
DATA:
Story length: 270 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: about three, but they are referred to - no details shown. Setting: current day mostly New York area and some Massachusetts. Copyright: 2010 (first published in 2008). Genre: women’s relationship fiction, chick lit.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I love romance novels which is the angle I’m coming from. This does not provide emotional fulfillment. It’s women’s fiction about finding love. It’s also about a woman who is insecure about her body and afraid of sex. She overcomes her insecurities. At the end of this book I felt some pain and sadness about one relationship. I also felt some comfort about another relationship. But the sadness feeling was stronger than the comfort feeling. The ending did not leave me feeling satisfied. Things felt unfinished. I had hoped the sequel (Ordinary World) would make things better but it didn’t. Someone dies at the beginning of Ordinary World and the entire book is Andi grieving. The sequel depressed me. Maybe someone experiencing grief might like it better than I did. So, the sequel is not the way to get the happy ending I wanted for Faking It.
The story has the flavor of unrequited love. It is told in first person by Andi. She falls in love with Devin very quickly. But we never see Devin’s point of view. (Ok, we did read an entry in his personal journal once, but it wasn’t enough.) It appears that he does not fall in love with Andi, but that he sincerely cares for her. She’s insecure about her appearance, he’s movie-star handsome, and he doesn’t return her feelings which adds some insecurity and sadness.
In this book there was a fair amount of talk about the craft of writing and authors like Plato and sophists. It wasn’t done in a way that interested me. I read through those parts quickly without much thought. More entertaining or colorful illustrations of her points might have helped.
STORY BRIEF:
Andi has a PhD and teaches writing. She feels overweight and has low self-esteem. She was afraid to have sex so her fiancé broke up with her. She found a new job and moved to New York. She meets Devin, a male escort. He pleases women with companionship, attention, massages, and sensuality. He never has sex with his clients, but he uses sex toys to bring sexual pleasure to them. Andi can’t afford Devin, but she asks if he will barter with her. She will teach him to write if he will teach her to shed her sexual inhibitions. He agrees. Maybe a third of the book is about their lessons with each other. Her lessons are mostly about her feelings about herself and her body. They are not sex scenes. They also have a growing friendship outside of the lessons.
DATA:
Story length: 270 pages. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: about three, but they are referred to - no details shown. Setting: current day mostly New York area and some Massachusetts. Copyright: 2010 (first published in 2008). Genre: women’s relationship fiction, chick lit.
August 16, 2013
After her relationship ends, writing professor Andi Cutrone abandons her life in New England and returns to her native Long Island to focus on her career. At a work related cocktail evening Andi comes across handsome male-escort Devin. Andi is fascinated and offers him a proposition.
I think I got this book as part of a Kindle deal as I’d never heard of if before, but it sounded interesting enough, something a little different! (By the time I get round to actually reading these books I buy on a whim I always forget what they’re about, so it’s a nice surprise when reading!)
I liked Andi’s journey and thought it a slightly different narrative than other books about successful 30-somethings. Devin is a curious character and the relationship that’s formed between the two is interesting. I liked the mix of both of their “skills” and enjoyed both parts equally. I thought it was an engaging read. It’s smart, witty and has some lovely descriptive pieces about writing and art. It’s a romantic story, but with unusual elements to mix it up a bit.
I think I got this book as part of a Kindle deal as I’d never heard of if before, but it sounded interesting enough, something a little different! (By the time I get round to actually reading these books I buy on a whim I always forget what they’re about, so it’s a nice surprise when reading!)
I liked Andi’s journey and thought it a slightly different narrative than other books about successful 30-somethings. Devin is a curious character and the relationship that’s formed between the two is interesting. I liked the mix of both of their “skills” and enjoyed both parts equally. I thought it was an engaging read. It’s smart, witty and has some lovely descriptive pieces about writing and art. It’s a romantic story, but with unusual elements to mix it up a bit.
July 6, 2012
This book is highly upsetting. I get through pages and pages of theory that reads like a graduate English assignment (which having been a graduate English student, I was not too keen on...I read for escape) only to not have this end happily ever after! I feel cheated. I hated this ending. Surviving all the dry stuff for no pay off at the end...never reading this author again.
Yes, I know others will say it ended well, both characters grew into themselves, yada yada. But this isn't fucking self-help. It's romance! And it isn't a dissertation either. So fail on two scores...
Yes, I know others will say it ended well, both characters grew into themselves, yada yada. But this isn't fucking self-help. It's romance! And it isn't a dissertation either. So fail on two scores...
January 29, 2020
Andi ist frisch von ihrem Verlobten getrennt und hat einen neuen Job in einer neuen Stadt. Dort lernt sie den attraktiven Devin kennen, einen Escort, der vielen ihrer Akademiker-Kolleginnen Gesellschaft, Aufmerksamkeit, und Befriedigung bietet. Beide vereinbaren sich gegenseitig zu helfen indem sie ihm Schreiben beibringt und er ihr, wie sie eine begehrenswerte Liebhaberin wird. Aber obwohl sie vertraglich festgehalten haben, dass sie sich außerhalb der verabredeten Zeit nicht treffen und sich nicht verlieben dürfen, beherrschen bald Hoffnung und Unsicherheit Andis Gedanken...
Die Geschichte um eine Frau, die wegen ihrer Erscheinung verunsichert ist, aus Angst vor Sex ihren Verlobten verloren hat und die Liebe findet, konnte meine Aufmerksamkeit halten, war aber auch teilweise langweilig. Es war einfach zu unaufgeregt und die Dialoge haben mir überhaupt nicht gefallen.
Andi selbst ist zwar sehr oft sehr nachvollziehbar aber auch sehr oft am Meckern und hypokritisch. Teils ist es der Widerspruch, dass sie sich für etwas Besseres hält und sich dann wieder selbst bemitleidet, weil sie nicht gut genug ist, der es interessanter macht. Teils ist sie aber nur anstrengend.
Seine Perspektive hat dem Ganzen nochmal viel gegeben, davon hätte es auch gern mehr sein dürfen.
Mir gefällt wie unkonventionell das Ganze ist, Andis größtes Problem hatte ich schon geahnt und dann ist es, bei einer 34-Jährigen, die verlobt war, doch überraschend. Auch wenn der Typ wirklich ein Sack ist, war die Sache mit ihrem Verlobten super, weil es nicht klischeehaft wieder zur Debatte kam. Und ich weiß es zu schätzen, dass die Autorin nicht den offensichtlichen, vorhersehbaren Weg geht. Aber irgendwie war das Ende schon auch unbefriedigend. Es wirkt tragisch und traurig. Auch wenn die andere Sache wirklich toll ist, was ich da das so schnell ging, so nicht erwartet hatte. Vielleicht kommt aber auch im zweiten Teil noch etwas, das alles verändert.
Die Geschichte um eine Frau, die wegen ihrer Erscheinung verunsichert ist, aus Angst vor Sex ihren Verlobten verloren hat und die Liebe findet, konnte meine Aufmerksamkeit halten, war aber auch teilweise langweilig. Es war einfach zu unaufgeregt und die Dialoge haben mir überhaupt nicht gefallen.
Andi selbst ist zwar sehr oft sehr nachvollziehbar aber auch sehr oft am Meckern und hypokritisch. Teils ist es der Widerspruch, dass sie sich für etwas Besseres hält und sich dann wieder selbst bemitleidet, weil sie nicht gut genug ist, der es interessanter macht. Teils ist sie aber nur anstrengend.
Seine Perspektive hat dem Ganzen nochmal viel gegeben, davon hätte es auch gern mehr sein dürfen.
Mir gefällt wie unkonventionell das Ganze ist, Andis größtes Problem hatte ich schon geahnt und dann ist es, bei einer 34-Jährigen, die verlobt war, doch überraschend. Auch wenn der Typ wirklich ein Sack ist, war die Sache mit ihrem Verlobten super, weil es nicht klischeehaft wieder zur Debatte kam. Und ich weiß es zu schätzen, dass die Autorin nicht den offensichtlichen, vorhersehbaren Weg geht. Aber irgendwie war das Ende schon auch unbefriedigend. Es wirkt tragisch und traurig. Auch wenn die andere Sache wirklich toll ist, was ich da das so schnell ging, so nicht erwartet hatte. Vielleicht kommt aber auch im zweiten Teil noch etwas, das alles verändert.
April 1, 2018
This book got 5 stars for being unpredictable. An English professor persuades a handsome male escort to accept writing lessons in exchange for lessons in how she can be more sensual. The book deals with self-worth, confidence , and the affect of casual slurs and insults on a child or teenager.
The writing lessons are pretty good, too, if you're considering a memoir.
The writing lessons are pretty good, too, if you're considering a memoir.
May 1, 2020
I'm really undecided about this book. From one hand it's a story about accepting your sexuality and letting go of old restrains, which is very inspiring. On the other, and this is the part that doesn't sit right with me, there is a love triangle, but not really... It's a messy story-line of a girl and two guys she is in-love with.
October 8, 2021
I finished this book as a part of a reading challenge. This appears to be the first book I added to Goodreads as a "Want to Read" and I can't remember why but I'm glad I finally read it. It's a rom-com with themes that will speak to many readers like finding your path and being confident in who you are. I would recommend this to fans of 90s and early 00s rom coms.
March 11, 2019
It's a very well-written story, but I was not expecting a love triangle and I also wasn't expecting this level of angst.
April 21, 2011
What happens when an uptight writing professor and an escort become friends? In Faking It, a romantic comedy novel, Andrea meets Devin and finds out!
Thirty-four year old professor Andi Cutrone is suffering from a broken heart; she recently broke up with her fiancé and has moved back to Long Island to try to forget him and move on, emotionally and literally. But it isn’t working. She’s miserable, even though her job is fulfilling and her best friend Maggie is supportive. Andi starts to question her ability to even attract a man, let alone be in a relationship. There must be something wrong with her, she concludes,that drives men away.
Then Andi meets Devin at a work social; the gorgeous escort is a hit with the female professors on the lecture circuit. He seeks Andi out but she rebuffs him, thinking he is just trying to build his client base. But she keeps seeing him at other events and at each event Devin seeks her out, talks to her, and seems to enjoy her company. Andi doesn’t understand. She isn’t his type, he’s gorgeous, and he could have his pick of anyone! Eventually she confronts him, tells him she can’t afford him, that there is no point talking to her anymore. Devin is hurt that she has made the assumption it is all business and tells her that he wants to talk to her because he finds her interesting. Andi doesn’t believe him but has an idea. She decides to employ Devin to teach her to be a better lover and to be a happier woman; he’s the expert, after all. They draw up a contract, and in return for Andi teaching Devin how to write, he will teach her how to love. One golden rule – they mustn’t fall in love with each other and they can’t see each other socially; this is purely a business relationship. But slowly, as they work together and Andi starts to learn how to love herself (for if she can’t love herself how can she love anyone else?) they come to realize that they are both "faking it," and that they have both been hiding things from themselves as well as from the outside world. The layers of deceit are peeled away, and suddenly the contract golden rule is in doubt…
Faking It is an amusing, well-written version of the modern love story. Andi is all too real as the attractive, intelligent woman who should be happy, but isn’t, with her self-doubt and low self-esteem wrecking her chances of finding true love. Her inability to trust herself and her own instincts is cleverly reinforced in the chapter headings. The naming of the first five chapters list the months passing one by one, reinforcing how Andi is just marking time, counting the months which continue to distance her from her heartache. Then in Chapter Six there is a change in the chapter names from months passing to weeks adding up, indicating a shift in Andi’s perception. She is no longer counting months of misery, she is counting the weeks of happiness, those weeks spent with Devin. Finally at the novel's end, Andi is looking forward not backwards.
The reader can’t help but get caught up in "will they, won’t they?" speculation: Will Andi finally learn to be happy? Can Devin turn his back on the escort business to follow his dream? Will they become more than friends and colleagues? With a confident, chatty writing style, Elisa Lorello has created witty, amusing, realistic characters in Faking It. The chemistry between Andi and Devin is convincing, and their interactions credible.
Elisa Lorello teaches first-year writing full time at NC State and has been living near Raleigh, North Carolina since 2006. Peaking at #6 and #25 on the Top 25 Kindle Store Bestseller list in January 2010, Faking It and Ordinary World have since sold a combined 50,000 Kindle copies.Her second novel, Ordinary World will be available June 2011. For more information, go to Elisa's website, or contact Elisa directly.
Thirty-four year old professor Andi Cutrone is suffering from a broken heart; she recently broke up with her fiancé and has moved back to Long Island to try to forget him and move on, emotionally and literally. But it isn’t working. She’s miserable, even though her job is fulfilling and her best friend Maggie is supportive. Andi starts to question her ability to even attract a man, let alone be in a relationship. There must be something wrong with her, she concludes,that drives men away.
Then Andi meets Devin at a work social; the gorgeous escort is a hit with the female professors on the lecture circuit. He seeks Andi out but she rebuffs him, thinking he is just trying to build his client base. But she keeps seeing him at other events and at each event Devin seeks her out, talks to her, and seems to enjoy her company. Andi doesn’t understand. She isn’t his type, he’s gorgeous, and he could have his pick of anyone! Eventually she confronts him, tells him she can’t afford him, that there is no point talking to her anymore. Devin is hurt that she has made the assumption it is all business and tells her that he wants to talk to her because he finds her interesting. Andi doesn’t believe him but has an idea. She decides to employ Devin to teach her to be a better lover and to be a happier woman; he’s the expert, after all. They draw up a contract, and in return for Andi teaching Devin how to write, he will teach her how to love. One golden rule – they mustn’t fall in love with each other and they can’t see each other socially; this is purely a business relationship. But slowly, as they work together and Andi starts to learn how to love herself (for if she can’t love herself how can she love anyone else?) they come to realize that they are both "faking it," and that they have both been hiding things from themselves as well as from the outside world. The layers of deceit are peeled away, and suddenly the contract golden rule is in doubt…
Faking It is an amusing, well-written version of the modern love story. Andi is all too real as the attractive, intelligent woman who should be happy, but isn’t, with her self-doubt and low self-esteem wrecking her chances of finding true love. Her inability to trust herself and her own instincts is cleverly reinforced in the chapter headings. The naming of the first five chapters list the months passing one by one, reinforcing how Andi is just marking time, counting the months which continue to distance her from her heartache. Then in Chapter Six there is a change in the chapter names from months passing to weeks adding up, indicating a shift in Andi’s perception. She is no longer counting months of misery, she is counting the weeks of happiness, those weeks spent with Devin. Finally at the novel's end, Andi is looking forward not backwards.
The reader can’t help but get caught up in "will they, won’t they?" speculation: Will Andi finally learn to be happy? Can Devin turn his back on the escort business to follow his dream? Will they become more than friends and colleagues? With a confident, chatty writing style, Elisa Lorello has created witty, amusing, realistic characters in Faking It. The chemistry between Andi and Devin is convincing, and their interactions credible.
Elisa Lorello teaches first-year writing full time at NC State and has been living near Raleigh, North Carolina since 2006. Peaking at #6 and #25 on the Top 25 Kindle Store Bestseller list in January 2010, Faking It and Ordinary World have since sold a combined 50,000 Kindle copies.Her second novel, Ordinary World will be available June 2011. For more information, go to Elisa's website, or contact Elisa directly.
August 24, 2011
A sudden trip back home to Manila had me suddenly scrambling to find several good books to read to while away the time during the 18 hour flight home and to stave away the worry that would grip my soul while waiting for news. The second night home, I started this book and I couldn't put it down. The story struck a chord. As Andi described herself-- pudgy, fat, so unsure of herself, so embarrassed by her looks and her build, I realized ... Hey! She's describing me! I related to her and her insecurities, with self doubt and self loathing because of her appearance, in spite of the fact that she is a PhD, a soon-to-be-published author, a great friend and a wonderful teacher. Granted, I have no phD, nor am I a teacher, I am successful in my chose field, yet still plagued with self-doubt and low self esteem.
I related to her struggles of self- discovery and self-love. It took Andi the love and attention of two men, two different men, to see her value, her worth, her place in the world and in their hearts.
The journey both Andi and Devin took together enriched both their lives and opened their eyes and awareness to who they truly are, and what truly makes em happy and fulfilled.
It is not a regular love story of where boy meets girl, they both fall in love, circumstances tears them apart, then brings them back together at the end. No, this story is rooted in reality of life.
Elisa Lorello's writing is both educational and inspirational. Her writing is one that sharpens the mind, makes you question what you know about writing or reading, and inspires me to tackle writing from a whole new level and point of view. Her characters are real, their fears and insecurities relatable, and the resolution of their anxiety may not be what the readers are rooting for, but truly, their ending is one that could and has happened to most of us.
I found myself rooting for both Devin and Andi as the story ended, wishing and hoping that the last few pages would bring the story to a close the way I wanted it to. As I turned the last page of the book, did I heave a sigh of re eir? Was I bathed in contentment? I can honestly say that as my eyes drifted over the last few words, I wanted ... More. I wanted to know the story after this story. I wanted to see more of Devin and Andi. And I. Can't wait to see if Elisa decides to take ts story further. Elisa Lorello
I related to her struggles of self- discovery and self-love. It took Andi the love and attention of two men, two different men, to see her value, her worth, her place in the world and in their hearts.
The journey both Andi and Devin took together enriched both their lives and opened their eyes and awareness to who they truly are, and what truly makes em happy and fulfilled.
It is not a regular love story of where boy meets girl, they both fall in love, circumstances tears them apart, then brings them back together at the end. No, this story is rooted in reality of life.
Elisa Lorello's writing is both educational and inspirational. Her writing is one that sharpens the mind, makes you question what you know about writing or reading, and inspires me to tackle writing from a whole new level and point of view. Her characters are real, their fears and insecurities relatable, and the resolution of their anxiety may not be what the readers are rooting for, but truly, their ending is one that could and has happened to most of us.
I found myself rooting for both Devin and Andi as the story ended, wishing and hoping that the last few pages would bring the story to a close the way I wanted it to. As I turned the last page of the book, did I heave a sigh of re eir? Was I bathed in contentment? I can honestly say that as my eyes drifted over the last few words, I wanted ... More. I wanted to know the story after this story. I wanted to see more of Devin and Andi. And I. Can't wait to see if Elisa decides to take ts story further. Elisa Lorello
September 20, 2011
"I fumed to the point where I thought I actually felt smoke come out of my ears." ~ Andi
That is how I felt when I read this book. I was so mad at Devin I wanted to throw my kindle across the room (and I really like my kindle).
I read a lot of reviews of this book giving it a low rating because of Andi's choice at the end, however I could completely understand her choice and I thought it showed how much she grew throughout the book. Yes we were VERY vested in Devin and Andi, but in the end, Who the hell is Devin? We never get to find out what he's afraid of, why he doesn't want to have a serious relationship or have sex.
In my opinion the best chapter of this whole book was the chapter from his journal at the end of the novel.
All the fights (especially the last one) between Andi and Devin were great. They were extremely distinct characters and Elisa Lorello didn't just spout bullshit all novel about writing in your own voice and making sure the reader can see things -- she actually did it. I could see Devin say "you kept this little secret from me and dropped it on my balls like a dumbbell." Best line of the whole novel.
I think another strength of this novel is the title of the book. To reveal more would spoil it.
I also enjoyed the DETAIL in this novel -- the detail about NYC, the detail about writing courses in college, the detail about art and painting -- it was tremendous and really added to the story -- brought the reader into it. I could tell and appreciated all the research that went into that part - Andi learning about art from Devin and Devin learning about writing from Andi. Spot on there.
Elisa Lorello created a story you could get into because you could relate to Andi, I'm sure we've all been there, and deep down inside there are parts of us that are still Andi. Is this book borderline chick-lit with relationship advice/find yourself/self-help? Yeah, probably, but it's veiled through Devin and Andi's relationship so you don't really realize it. I can appreciate a book like that, as I hate when authors shove viewpoints down my throat. By the end you genuinely care about Andi and Devin, and you want them both to be fulfilled.
That is how I felt when I read this book. I was so mad at Devin I wanted to throw my kindle across the room (and I really like my kindle).
I read a lot of reviews of this book giving it a low rating because of Andi's choice at the end, however I could completely understand her choice and I thought it showed how much she grew throughout the book. Yes we were VERY vested in Devin and Andi, but in the end, Who the hell is Devin? We never get to find out what he's afraid of, why he doesn't want to have a serious relationship or have sex.
In my opinion the best chapter of this whole book was the chapter from his journal at the end of the novel.
All the fights (especially the last one) between Andi and Devin were great. They were extremely distinct characters and Elisa Lorello didn't just spout bullshit all novel about writing in your own voice and making sure the reader can see things -- she actually did it. I could see Devin say "you kept this little secret from me and dropped it on my balls like a dumbbell." Best line of the whole novel.
I think another strength of this novel is the title of the book. To reveal more would spoil it.
I also enjoyed the DETAIL in this novel -- the detail about NYC, the detail about writing courses in college, the detail about art and painting -- it was tremendous and really added to the story -- brought the reader into it. I could tell and appreciated all the research that went into that part - Andi learning about art from Devin and Devin learning about writing from Andi. Spot on there.
Elisa Lorello created a story you could get into because you could relate to Andi, I'm sure we've all been there, and deep down inside there are parts of us that are still Andi. Is this book borderline chick-lit with relationship advice/find yourself/self-help? Yeah, probably, but it's veiled through Devin and Andi's relationship so you don't really realize it. I can appreciate a book like that, as I hate when authors shove viewpoints down my throat. By the end you genuinely care about Andi and Devin, and you want them both to be fulfilled.
October 5, 2012
Based on the plot I think I was hoping for more comedy, but while reading I started hoping for more romance. Obviously I didn't really get either. Instead I got what the book was, the story of a 34 year old woman with low self esteem, who had been sexually repressed, but at least believed in herself academically. I found Andi to be weak even after her revelations, but I guess some problems can never be solved. Devin I really enjoyed, and felt was judged too harshly by Andi. Okay, I think I can't say more without spoiling the books so here we go...
SPOILERS
For me it was a bit like "The Way We Were" in that she did feel she was madly in love with this other person, and they couldn't ever get it quite right so she ended up settling for the more socially appropriate, easy relationship. To me I don't think either of them ever fought hard enough for the other, and honestly that's why I read romantic novels to watch the hero/heroine fight for their relationship even though its tough. Andi took the easy way out to me, even when Devin was really ready to open up she walked away. In the end I also just hate love triangles, since half the time they don't choose my preferred person.
There is a sequel, but I'm not sure I can listen to any more insecurities from Andi. I'll probably read it in hopes Devin is able to get a happy ending, but I'd really rather it not be with Andi at this point...I think he can do better...
SPOILERS
For me it was a bit like "The Way We Were" in that she did feel she was madly in love with this other person, and they couldn't ever get it quite right so she ended up settling for the more socially appropriate, easy relationship. To me I don't think either of them ever fought hard enough for the other, and honestly that's why I read romantic novels to watch the hero/heroine fight for their relationship even though its tough. Andi took the easy way out to me, even when Devin was really ready to open up she walked away. In the end I also just hate love triangles, since half the time they don't choose my preferred person.
There is a sequel, but I'm not sure I can listen to any more insecurities from Andi. I'll probably read it in hopes Devin is able to get a happy ending, but I'd really rather it not be with Andi at this point...I think he can do better...
October 31, 2013
**NOTE: I started this review rating the book 4 stars but as i was writing and recollecting the story and my relation to it, i couldn't help but add a star **
Such a refreshing change to read a novel that actually had me thinking about my own life and relationships with other people after reading it. I found this book enlightening and re-energizing to see Andi, the main character, literally blossom before your eyes... addressing deeper meanings behind an otherwise "normal" (in her perspective) upbringing and learning to embrace her true and confident self. The supporting character, Devin, had a significant role in the story in helping to push Andi to address the issues and being completely open and honest about his opinions of her, while remaining coy and inhibited about himself and his feelings (both about himself and about her).
Overall, this book addresses one major concept that i think many can relate to... everyone has inhibitions, even those people who, on the outside, we think have "everything together". The key is to figure out your REAL self and to embrace that self.
I immediately looked for other books by Elisa Lorello and found the sequel to this book and bought it with no hesitation. The author of a book that can make me essentially reassess myself is truly gifted.
Such a refreshing change to read a novel that actually had me thinking about my own life and relationships with other people after reading it. I found this book enlightening and re-energizing to see Andi, the main character, literally blossom before your eyes... addressing deeper meanings behind an otherwise "normal" (in her perspective) upbringing and learning to embrace her true and confident self. The supporting character, Devin, had a significant role in the story in helping to push Andi to address the issues and being completely open and honest about his opinions of her, while remaining coy and inhibited about himself and his feelings (both about himself and about her).
Overall, this book addresses one major concept that i think many can relate to... everyone has inhibitions, even those people who, on the outside, we think have "everything together". The key is to figure out your REAL self and to embrace that self.
I immediately looked for other books by Elisa Lorello and found the sequel to this book and bought it with no hesitation. The author of a book that can make me essentially reassess myself is truly gifted.
November 16, 2015
DNF
I loved the premise and could not wait to start.
First the narrator, Cynthia Barrett, is awful! The heroine, Andi, is supposed to be in her early 30s. The narrator sounds like she is in her late 40s. The narrator's accent at times was English mixed in with some Boston. Make up your mind what accent you are going to use for the story!!! Anyway, it was not only the narrator that made me DNF, it was the constant babble/inner dialogue from the heroine. It felt like she was constantly patting herself on the back with what a great professor she was or her 15 minute commentary on why she chose a specific cheesecake restaurant to meet the hero. She loves cheesecake and this place had the best cheesecake and it was so worth it...blah, blah, blah. The story starts in February, but she does not even make an appointment with the hero until June or July. February to June/July was all babble. It took for ever to get anywhere with this story. Then the heroine flashbacks to how she met her ex-fiance, Andrew. Nothing about why they broke up, but how they met. Who cares??? What does that have to do with anything?!?!? Don't answer that...I don't care anymore. The story lost me.
This may work for you, but did not work for me. I am not telling you not to read it.
I loved the premise and could not wait to start.
First the narrator, Cynthia Barrett, is awful! The heroine, Andi, is supposed to be in her early 30s. The narrator sounds like she is in her late 40s. The narrator's accent at times was English mixed in with some Boston. Make up your mind what accent you are going to use for the story!!! Anyway, it was not only the narrator that made me DNF, it was the constant babble/inner dialogue from the heroine. It felt like she was constantly patting herself on the back with what a great professor she was or her 15 minute commentary on why she chose a specific cheesecake restaurant to meet the hero. She loves cheesecake and this place had the best cheesecake and it was so worth it...blah, blah, blah. The story starts in February, but she does not even make an appointment with the hero until June or July. February to June/July was all babble. It took for ever to get anywhere with this story. Then the heroine flashbacks to how she met her ex-fiance, Andrew. Nothing about why they broke up, but how they met. Who cares??? What does that have to do with anything?!?!? Don't answer that...I don't care anymore. The story lost me.
This may work for you, but did not work for me. I am not telling you not to read it.
February 26, 2010
Uh, this is a little too chick lit for me. Not terrible, the setup is mildly creative (writing instruct meets male escort who seems to pleasure lots of the ladies in academia), but I think I could pretty much put this book down (I'm about 40% in) and never think about it again. So, eh, a little bit of froth, not really worth seeking out, but not a taxing read either.
Plus, I will admit it irks me that the main character is a writing professor with a Ph.D., yet the book contains phrases like "bad wrap" (instead of "bad rap") and "hone in on" (instead of "home in on"). Common or not, these aren't mistakes that ought to be made by writing instructors or people who want to write about them convincingly.
I downloaded this as a Kindle version because it was on the Kindle bestsellers list, and was only $.99. Probably worth about that much.
***
Okay, I'm finished, and while I would give the first 80% of the book about two and a half stars, I would give the last 20$ four stars. The end really pulled me in, struck me as much better written, and I'm now happy to have read the book.
Plus, I will admit it irks me that the main character is a writing professor with a Ph.D., yet the book contains phrases like "bad wrap" (instead of "bad rap") and "hone in on" (instead of "home in on"). Common or not, these aren't mistakes that ought to be made by writing instructors or people who want to write about them convincingly.
I downloaded this as a Kindle version because it was on the Kindle bestsellers list, and was only $.99. Probably worth about that much.
***
Okay, I'm finished, and while I would give the first 80% of the book about two and a half stars, I would give the last 20$ four stars. The end really pulled me in, struck me as much better written, and I'm now happy to have read the book.
July 2, 2011
This book kept coming up on my radar as I was researching my own books on Amazon.com. I bought a copy and then promptly forgot I had it! Then, yesterday, I was doing research online for my own novel, SEEING JULIA, and FAKING IT came up again because of the publicity for Elisa Lorello's new one, ORDINARY WORLD.
Elisa Lorello is a prolific writer, deft at first person, and effectual at drawing readers in to the amazing world of NYC, art, and literature. Her word usage is extraordinary. The description of time, place, and works of art is amazing. The story is charming and heartbreaking at the same time. The book draws you in and you have to keep reading to find out how things turn out for the heroine, Andi, and the hero, Devin.
Since I discovered Elisa Lorello "late" with her next novel, ORDINARY WORLD, as a follow-up to FAKING IT coming out, I stayed up until two in the morning to read one novel right after the other. What a treat! If you enjoy contemporary fiction, the world of literature and art, and two characters trying to find their way in a chaotic world, you'll love FAKING IT. And, the follow-up novel, ORDINARY WORLD.
Elisa Lorello is a prolific writer, deft at first person, and effectual at drawing readers in to the amazing world of NYC, art, and literature. Her word usage is extraordinary. The description of time, place, and works of art is amazing. The story is charming and heartbreaking at the same time. The book draws you in and you have to keep reading to find out how things turn out for the heroine, Andi, and the hero, Devin.
Since I discovered Elisa Lorello "late" with her next novel, ORDINARY WORLD, as a follow-up to FAKING IT coming out, I stayed up until two in the morning to read one novel right after the other. What a treat! If you enjoy contemporary fiction, the world of literature and art, and two characters trying to find their way in a chaotic world, you'll love FAKING IT. And, the follow-up novel, ORDINARY WORLD.
December 30, 2009
Ok I thought this book had an interesting twist. This is the story of a writing professor who moves back to NY after a relationship gone bad. She is a little overweight and not real self confident in social settings. Upon return she attends a networking cocktail party and sees a very handsome man. her co worker tells her he is a VERY high priced male escort. Of course Andi cannot believe her collegues actually hire him and she cannot believ he actually approaches her. She thinks he is trying to drum up business however... this is a start of a very interestin g relationship. They end up bartering some very interesting commodities... she teaches him about writing and he teaches her what men want but in the end what they both ndiscovery is pretty interesting.
I really enjoyed the twists and tuirns opf this book as well as the insight of the auithor about some interesting topics relevant to many of us.
I highly recpommend this book even though it gets a little goofy at places.
I am going to be reading the sequel!
I really enjoyed the twists and tuirns opf this book as well as the insight of the auithor about some interesting topics relevant to many of us.
I highly recpommend this book even though it gets a little goofy at places.
I am going to be reading the sequel!
January 13, 2010
I picked this book up for $.99 on the amazon kindle page. I read the reviews and decided to give it a try. This book was great. I had read the first 15 chapters before I went to bed the first night I got it. I kept saying, "one more chapter one more chapter, oh God it's 1am."
I really enjoyed reading Andi's writing lessons to Devin/David and I think I learned a thing or two from her. I loved watching her journey to find herself and love the woman she was inside and out. I didn't know who to root for during this book. Did I want Devin/David to give up the escort business to be with Andi or did I want her to find someone else who would love her? I thought this book was amazing and I can't wait to start reading the sequel "Ordinary World." I got that one for $.99 on kindle also, we'll see how things turn out for Andi.
I really enjoyed reading Andi's writing lessons to Devin/David and I think I learned a thing or two from her. I loved watching her journey to find herself and love the woman she was inside and out. I didn't know who to root for during this book. Did I want Devin/David to give up the escort business to be with Andi or did I want her to find someone else who would love her? I thought this book was amazing and I can't wait to start reading the sequel "Ordinary World." I got that one for $.99 on kindle also, we'll see how things turn out for Andi.
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