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Romentics #1
Razor Burn
Blayne is strictly business -- a stuffed shirt working for his father's company to develop the next men's razor. He wants to grow out of his father's shadow and become a success on his own, and this current project might be just the one to do it. He's also gay and stuck in a marriage of convenience with the president of the London branch of the company to appease his homophobic, controlling father.
Ben needs to get his career back on track after being laid off. A promising new job at Mandatory seems to be a great opportunity. In life, he just wants to have fun. But he needs to come to terms with his family and an odd case of amnesia to move on.
When they meet in a coffee shop one afternoon, Ben gets a lot more than a job. And when they start working together, nothing can keep them apart--not amnesia, not secrets, not Blayne's father, not even Blayne's wife!
Ben needs to get his career back on track after being laid off. A promising new job at Mandatory seems to be a great opportunity. In life, he just wants to have fun. But he needs to come to terms with his family and an odd case of amnesia to move on.
When they meet in a coffee shop one afternoon, Ben gets a lot more than a job. And when they start working together, nothing can keep them apart--not amnesia, not secrets, not Blayne's father, not even Blayne's wife!
268 pages, Paperback
First published October 23, 2003
1 person is currently reading
123 people want to read
About the author
Scott D. Pomfret
14 books47 followersScott Pomfret is author of Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir; Hot Sauce: A Novel; the Q Guide to Wine and Cocktails, and dozens of short stories published in, among other venues, Ecotone, The Short Story (UK), Post Road, New Orleans Review, Fiction International, and Fourteen Hills. Scott writes from the cramped confines of his tiny Provincetown beach shack, which he shares with his partner of twenty-one years. He is currently at work on a comic queer Know-Nothing alternative history novel set in antebellum New Orleans. www.scottpomfret.com.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 2, 2012
Touching romance with an interesting mystery woven in
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- I love how Ben is a mixture of uncertainty and confidence: a blundering idiot sometimes and as suave as James Bond the next. The combination makes him seem real to me--less like a character intended to come across a certain way and more like a real person with real strengths and flaws.
- The plot is interesting and more involved than I initially expected it to be. I was very intrigued to see how everything would fit together, because I was able to guess at individual connections, but I didn’t see the whole thing.
- Even though there are some elements to the story that are quite dark, a lot of the exposition is pretty upbeat and funny: “The psychiatrist fresh out of med school got her first wacko. And the fresh wacko got a free shrink. What a deal.”
- The book isn’t overrun by sex scenes, and I thought the scenes that WERE there were just right. They’re borderline graphic, borderline detailed, and on the line between short and long. But they feel honest and realistic--the specifics as well as the emotion.
- The title of the book seems absolutely spot-on to me. I loved the way the idea of shaving was carried through the whole story; it’s a metaphor that the authors use to good effect.
CONS:
- The POV doesn’t stay consistently within one character’s head within scenes or even within paragraphs. With sentences like this--“Blayne avoided eye contact with Ben, too”--it’s impossible to tell whose head we’re in. Is this Ben noticing that Blayne won’t look at him? Or are we seeing a conscious decision on Blayne’s part? There’s one scene in which four characters are busy sizing one another up that I found particularly hard to follow. I kept having to puzzle out whose head I was in and whether he/she was thinking about him/herself or someone else.
- Ben and Blayne both have names that start with B (and Blayne’s LAST name starts with a B, too), which made the book difficult for me to read quickly. A couple of times, I was reading along and got through an entire conversation thinking I was reading about one guy when it was the really the other one everybody was talking about. My fault, I know, but I tend to glance at the first letter of a character’s name and then move on.
- The ending leans toward melodrama just a bit, but I liked the book enough to be pretty forgiving of that.
Overall comments: I think this is a great read overall. It’s peppered with the sweet little moments that are so frequent in a lot of m/ms, but somehow knowing that it was written by two men who are actually in love made it that much sweeter for me. Those moments seemed plausible as opposed to being complete fanciful fabrications (not that I don’t love the fabrications in other books, too). The romance is front-and-center here, but it also has a pretty decent mystery woven into it.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- I love how Ben is a mixture of uncertainty and confidence: a blundering idiot sometimes and as suave as James Bond the next. The combination makes him seem real to me--less like a character intended to come across a certain way and more like a real person with real strengths and flaws.
- The plot is interesting and more involved than I initially expected it to be. I was very intrigued to see how everything would fit together, because I was able to guess at individual connections, but I didn’t see the whole thing.
- Even though there are some elements to the story that are quite dark, a lot of the exposition is pretty upbeat and funny: “The psychiatrist fresh out of med school got her first wacko. And the fresh wacko got a free shrink. What a deal.”
- The book isn’t overrun by sex scenes, and I thought the scenes that WERE there were just right. They’re borderline graphic, borderline detailed, and on the line between short and long. But they feel honest and realistic--the specifics as well as the emotion.
- The title of the book seems absolutely spot-on to me. I loved the way the idea of shaving was carried through the whole story; it’s a metaphor that the authors use to good effect.
CONS:
- The POV doesn’t stay consistently within one character’s head within scenes or even within paragraphs. With sentences like this--“Blayne avoided eye contact with Ben, too”--it’s impossible to tell whose head we’re in. Is this Ben noticing that Blayne won’t look at him? Or are we seeing a conscious decision on Blayne’s part? There’s one scene in which four characters are busy sizing one another up that I found particularly hard to follow. I kept having to puzzle out whose head I was in and whether he/she was thinking about him/herself or someone else.
- Ben and Blayne both have names that start with B (and Blayne’s LAST name starts with a B, too), which made the book difficult for me to read quickly. A couple of times, I was reading along and got through an entire conversation thinking I was reading about one guy when it was the really the other one everybody was talking about. My fault, I know, but I tend to glance at the first letter of a character’s name and then move on.
- The ending leans toward melodrama just a bit, but I liked the book enough to be pretty forgiving of that.
Overall comments: I think this is a great read overall. It’s peppered with the sweet little moments that are so frequent in a lot of m/ms, but somehow knowing that it was written by two men who are actually in love made it that much sweeter for me. Those moments seemed plausible as opposed to being complete fanciful fabrications (not that I don’t love the fabrications in other books, too). The romance is front-and-center here, but it also has a pretty decent mystery woven into it.
August 31, 2011
I liked this Blaine & Ben story even though it does have some issues. Firstly, why do writers insist on using names with the same letter, which only adds to some confusion because this is one of those books that has the floating POV. One minute we're in Ben's head and maybe in the next sentence or paragraph it's Blaine & it goes back & forth. Sometimes we're even seeing things from the side characters POV.
The writing itself does have a certain snap to it & a snarky sarcastic way about it, especially when we're in Ben's POV, that I appreciate. Blaine & Ben are good together. The two side characters Todd & Emily are used nicely in the book, especially when all 4 characters are working together as a team in the office. The plot keeps the story going although it's probably high on the unbelievability scale. Despite that, the story & the romance was quite entertaining.
The writing itself does have a certain snap to it & a snarky sarcastic way about it, especially when we're in Ben's POV, that I appreciate. Blaine & Ben are good together. The two side characters Todd & Emily are used nicely in the book, especially when all 4 characters are working together as a team in the office. The plot keeps the story going although it's probably high on the unbelievability scale. Despite that, the story & the romance was quite entertaining.
April 25, 2011
IMO it was slow to start as in like over 25% into the book before IMO it started getting interesting...
It was very wordy and overly (boringly) detailed
other than that once i got into and over the wordiness it was pretty and and enjoyable.
It was very wordy and overly (boringly) detailed
other than that once i got into and over the wordiness it was pretty and and enjoyable.
Read
April 7, 2009Ben and Blayne (what a pair of names) meet in a coffee shop in a lazy afternoon. Blayne is not searching company, at least is what he says, but he is in a gay quarter and in a gay local, and so Ben is a little pushy.
Ben manages to bring Blayne home and then in bed. But then Blayne flies away: he is married and he is straight! Not a believable excuse. Leaving he says to Ben to send him his resume: Ben is unemployed and maybe Blayne could do something... It's a joke but Ben sends the resume and Blayne's father, Garret, chooses to assume him. And so Blayne and Ben, with Todd and Emily, two friends, find themself to a side of a barricate and in the other side there is Garret and Jeanette, Blayne's wife. The war is about the launch of a new product for Mandatory, the Garret's firm: a new razor.
The book is interesting, a good mix of romance and story. Maybe also a little of suspence, even if, clue by clue, you can manage to unveal the truth way soon before it's unveiled by the story.
A story begins like a flirt ends in a love me forever feeling. When I read about this book, strangely I have ever had the feeling it was much more hard. Sex is not the main aspect and not the only reason to substain the plot. Maybe also the original print cover gives you that impression. I really like more the ebook version cover.
At this point I can say that I will be glad to read also the other stories this duo, Scott & Scott, have already written.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594570345/?...
Ben manages to bring Blayne home and then in bed. But then Blayne flies away: he is married and he is straight! Not a believable excuse. Leaving he says to Ben to send him his resume: Ben is unemployed and maybe Blayne could do something... It's a joke but Ben sends the resume and Blayne's father, Garret, chooses to assume him. And so Blayne and Ben, with Todd and Emily, two friends, find themself to a side of a barricate and in the other side there is Garret and Jeanette, Blayne's wife. The war is about the launch of a new product for Mandatory, the Garret's firm: a new razor.
The book is interesting, a good mix of romance and story. Maybe also a little of suspence, even if, clue by clue, you can manage to unveal the truth way soon before it's unveiled by the story.
A story begins like a flirt ends in a love me forever feeling. When I read about this book, strangely I have ever had the feeling it was much more hard. Sex is not the main aspect and not the only reason to substain the plot. Maybe also the original print cover gives you that impression. I really like more the ebook version cover.
At this point I can say that I will be glad to read also the other stories this duo, Scott & Scott, have already written.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594570345/?...
June 3, 2014
I love this book, it's the first in the Romentics books and I read it in paperback when it first came out, and just found myself wanting to read it again.The story starts with Ben picking up stuff shirt and all business Blayne.Blayne swears he's not gay, but yet he goes to Ben's apartment and gives Ben the most thorough and satisfying blow job of his life. As a parting gift, Blayne does admit he's working and challenges an unemployed Ben to send his resume to the company his father owns.Ben is angry at himself for having sex unknowingly with a married nan after discussing it with his favorite fag-hag sends his resume in.We learn that Ben is also suffering from amnesia, he's missing a whole chunk of the life he had when he attended college.Though ten years have past, Ben is still no closer to discovering what happen during that time.Ben is hired at the company ( called Mandatory) and find himself in charge of working on a special project. Blayne is shocked and surprised to see Ben employed there.Blayne we discover has suffered a trauma in his life 10 years ago that he still can't recall. The two men find themselves working together and faced to acknowledge a growing attraction.This book is a good summer read, filled with mystery, intrigue, and romance.Such a well written story that I hated to end...it's definitely a good read!
June 4, 2010
I loved this story because it was a common theme (at least in movies) done very very well (I don't want to give anything away, so those of you who haven't yet read the book, will just have to do so)! The story was very emotional, especially towards the end, where everything is revealed, and we realized just how much Ben and Blayne have been wronged against.
The plot was well-drawn and the characters were so believable and lovable!!! I don't know why some have rated it at less than 4 - I feel it is as good as Zero at the Bone, which is another one of my top faves, another common theme done very well.
A definite re-read for me. I also looked up other works by this writing duo, and they have also been exceptionally good.
P.S. I read the edition with the better cover - this one does not represent the story properly. And there should be two authors listed, not just Scott Pomfret.
The plot was well-drawn and the characters were so believable and lovable!!! I don't know why some have rated it at less than 4 - I feel it is as good as Zero at the Bone, which is another one of my top faves, another common theme done very well.
A definite re-read for me. I also looked up other works by this writing duo, and they have also been exceptionally good.
P.S. I read the edition with the better cover - this one does not represent the story properly. And there should be two authors listed, not just Scott Pomfret.
August 24, 2013
I had a bad feeling through out this book. You could almost put every piece together but there where still things that didn't ad up. Sometimes I really thought Ben should get it but he never really did. I can't shake books like this one, if it's just physical violence I can handle it, I even like it sometimes, but something that is this caluclated just makes me uneasy. If someone can make it up than someone can actully do it in reality...at least that is what I always fear when I see a scary movie or read something horrifying.
January 12, 2012
I really loved this book. It has all the classic elements of melodrama -- amnesia, an over-bearing father, long lost loves, an unhappy arranged marriage. But it has better characterization and far less silly written sex scenes. With the exception of the first sex scene which is purposely abrupt and out of place, the two Scotts make a good effort to fit them into the plot. Having completed this one I'm eagerly awaiting the next one which I know is on its way to me after the holiday.
November 11, 2010
What a wonderful book. It is extremely well written, funny, sexy, suspenseful, and very romantic. And to top it all of, it even has redheads. Can't beat that. I just cannot say enough positive things about this book. Scott and Scott did a bang-up-job with this one. I highly recommend it. Read it, you won't be disappointed.
December 17, 2011
This wasn't what I expected at all. It was filled with emotions and tenderness, and I finished the book with a completely different feeling than the one I had ten pages into it.
I liked Ben more though, he's definitely the "man" in the family, whereas Blayne seems confused and at a loss most of the time. He makes up for it though :)
I liked Ben more though, he's definitely the "man" in the family, whereas Blayne seems confused and at a loss most of the time. He makes up for it though :)
November 11, 2011
This was a pretty good book, for being 'contemporary' and dealing with advertising =) I did think it was strange neither character made the connection earlier then they did, but all in all, the ending was a decent HEA. I liked the detail they went into as far as how an ad campaign comes about, and what it takes, as well as who it takes to work everything together successfully. Not a bad read.
July 19, 2016
4 stars.
It was good. The plot was solid, the characters and their reactions believable.
I do wish that the names Ben and Blayne weren't quite so close together. I also wanted a bit more about Emily and Todd,because I don't think that Emily and Ben would never speak again. As usual I do wish the book had been a bit longer.
It was good. The plot was solid, the characters and their reactions believable.
I do wish that the names Ben and Blayne weren't quite so close together. I also wanted a bit more about Emily and Todd,because I don't think that Emily and Ben would never speak again. As usual I do wish the book had been a bit longer.
July 24, 2012
Slow to get started and the epilogue was slightly confusing but from about 25% in, I couldn't put this down. Loved it.
February 25, 2016
one of the most well thought-out plot lines I have read in MM romances. exceptional story line, very well written, just the ending was a bit rushed. Loved the fact that they fell in love twice.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews