Under the Influence

A Candyland Story

by V.J. Summers

Working undercover in a club to bust a dealer should be routine. And it would be, if Max wasn’t distracted by a gorgeous Goth-boy. He wants to bury his hands in Ben’s spiky black hair, bury something else in his pouty red mouth. When his sweet candy boy refuses to stay away from the dangerous club where patrons are ODing in record numbers, Max doesn’t know if he should beat some sense into Ben—or fuck it into him.With his thesis on the Goth subculture finished, Ben has no reason to hang around Candyland anymore. Except for Max. The brooding bouncer is too tempting, even if he can’t seem to decide whether to push Ben away or pull him closer. But Ben will take what he can get, because when Max pulls, it’s mind-blowing.As the ODs continue, Max tries to fight his raging libido long enough to collar the perp. And the deadly dealer is closer than he thinks, scrambling to tie up loose ends—including one named Ben.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Erotica, Contemporary, Mystery, Romantic Suspense

77 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2010

About the author

When not working the EDJfH (Evil Day Job from Hell), obsessing over whether her parents are getting enough to eat, obsessing that her kid is sexting the boyfriend, making coffee, drinking coffee or feeding the two cats who allow her to live with them, VJ can be found reading or writing erotic romance—either solo as m/m author VJ Summers, or as the shorter, more quiet half of the “Violet Summers” writing team (the tall half is Sierra Summers).

Reviews

[Phaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

2012 Review:

Not a terribly long story; at least it did not feel that way.

Time is a foreign, strange thing in this story. It doesn’t add up.

Supposedly Ben was out for almost twenty-four hours on that hit, yet they keep referring to it happening “last night”. Okay, that works if it’s night or evening again. But he also comes by every weekend. Then Max has time to be chewed out by his superior and visit the victim of that “last night” before showing up again on Friday at the club. Where Ben is again. Okay, so a week must have passed, right?

But no, the little drug guy tells Ben he did not expect to see him again after he got drunk here “last night”. And we get more “yesterday” references. But even if Max somehow managed to get his work done and visit the hospital after Ben left his apartment, before going to the club again (in which case the “see you there next week” becomes utterly incongruous), how the fuck can it be Friday when Ben went there on the weekend, as always, for the night that started it all!

Argh, it makes my puny human brain melt.

And then… Max has apparently “regularly” been stroking off to specifics about been that he only was able to see that drunken night! So either he is addicted to masturbation to the point of doing it ten times in a row in the time between Ben’s leaving and their meeting again at the club, or we’re back to the week thing.

Usually temporal inconsistencies tend to not matter in the greater scheme of things that much but I need sound grounding here. In the end, we do get confirmation on the week thing, but those stupid inconsistencies were driving me up the walls.

Okay, apart from this lengthy rant, it was okay. Nothing special but not horrible either.

Not sure I buy that entire romance thing, but I have read a lot more unlikely ones. At least they got the passion aspect right, I suppose, although Max really was a bit of an idiot in all this.
And horrifyingly inept at his job. I can count two victims already just because he snuck off with Ben instead of, you know, doing his job and taking care of what he obviously saw what was going on. Especially in Blue’s case. (Sure, take off with the guy who took a quarter of the drug but leave the rest of it in the hands of the user. Fucker.) And I don’t even know if the second victim survived.

[Kassa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the story interesting and fun to read, even if it's not that original. Undercover cop trying to follow the drug trade in a gay club becomes involved with a grad student who frequents the club. There is the typical lack of communication which leads to dangerous consequences - god forbid people actually are honest with each other instead of cryptic . Other than that obvious ploy, the characters are entertaining and the sex scenes are pretty hot. For a quick novella, this kept my attention and was interesting to read.

[Kimberly]

Going undercover at the Goth club Candyland to ferret out a drug dealer should be business as usual for Max; keyword being “should.” The sexy detective can’t seem to keep his focus when gorgeous little candy boy Ben is around. With the ODs reaching alarming numbers, Max knows Ben could be in danger, but he can’t seem to make the object of his desires leave.

Now that he’s finished his thesis, Ben has no reason to hang around Candyland anymore. Except he just can’t seem to resist trying to tempt Max, the alluring bouncer whose push-pull attitude drives him mad with desire…when it’s not simply driving Ben mad. Ben knows there’s more to Max than what’s on the surface, but before he can figure out the mystery that is Max, the dealer Max is after sets his sights on Ben.

Sexual tension reaches scorching new heights in Under the Influence. Max may make Ben crazy with his hot and cold attitude, but when Max runs hot, Under the Influence sizzles. I felt bad for Ben at times, because Max’s attitude, sans explanation of his being focused on an investigation, is frustrating. As for Max, Ms. Summers made me sympathize with his plight. He clearly wants Ben, but there is no way he could (never mind should) potentially endanger his investigation for personal reasons. Under the Influence is packed with action, danger, lust, and love, and I finished it a well-satisfied reader. How could I not? Under the Influence is both naughty and sweet – a perfect combination.

Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max is working undercover in a club trying to catch a drug dealer. Normally it's a relatively easy and straightforward assignment for him but now it's getting harder and harder for him to focus on the job. The cause of his distraction is Ben, a super sexy guy heavy into the Goth scene, who's caught Max's attention. Max tries to convince Ben to stop coming by the club in order to protect him and Ben refuses to be told what to do. The mutual attraction between them is scorching hot but their lack of real communication leads to a dangerous situation. Will Max get to Ben in time or will he lose the man he's come to love before getting a real chance with him?

This is the first book I've read by V.J. Summers and it was an entertaining read. The characters are likable and the sex scenes very hot. The lack of communication which led to danger for one of the protagonists is a bit frustrating but ultimately set up the happy ending. The mystery of who was the bad guy is pretty easy to solve but for the length the plot worked well.

Solid writing, interesting characters, a bit of danger and suspense plus some pretty hot sex scenes made this a fun and enjoyable story. I look forward to reading more stories by this author.

[Vanessa theJeepDiva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max is an undercover cop working the goth club Candyland. He is trying to uncover who is behind the bad batch of drugs that is leaving the party goers hospitalized and much worse. He finds it difficult to keep his attention on the case whenever Ben is in the club. Max wants Ben, even though he knows that he needs to keep his focus on discovering who the dealer is. One night and a bad choice later puts Max and Ben together for reasons neither one wants to face. The end result is what they both want, but can’t focus on.
Under the Influence is a very hot read. Max and Ben struggle with the need to take a tumble in the nearest bed or fight. They constantly struggle with doing right and denying the attraction. This really amps up the sexual tension and I personally like my romances high on the sexual tension. Max is trying to be a good detective and find out who is selling the bad drugs. Ben is tired of the sexy bouncer Max sending mixed signals. The entertainment comes from neither man staying away from the candy to be found at Candyland.

[Whitney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Max is perhaps the most horrible cop in the world. I mean how long did was he assigned to this club and he didn't even investigate the people working there? And Ben was such a brat. He's actually 26 about to get a phd? He seemed way too immature. And how is someone OD'ing at a club every week but it's not being blasted in the news? That excuse that Ben always left before 1:00 AM and therefore never saw anyone OD doesn't fly. And then when he actually does see someone OD, he goes back to the club the next week. All of these factors completely kept me from enjoying the book. The characters were just too stupid. The sex scenes were good though. So I guess there's that.

[authorkcwilliams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow...not bad for a short read! I loved the club setting...all half-naked, sweating, dancing bodies pressed up, grinding to the music!

Goth boy and club bouncer....only not so simple. Goth boy holds a phd and bouncer is an undercover cop trying to bust a dealer pushing bad drugs around the club.

The setting is HOT. The men are HOT. The sexy buildup is pitch-perfect! Loved the bathroom scene...

Definitely worth the read!

[Lexi Ander · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing and the pictures that the author draws for you are good and I enjoyed most of up to the point where Max can't give a better excuse than "because I said so" and Ben ignoring the danger just to get a rise out of Max.

This is just my opinion and this scenario might appeal to someone else. I'd give it a 2.5 and round it up to three.

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about an undercover cop and a PhD candidate who have been dancing around each other at a bar where a bad drugs have been causing ODs. There is some pretty good hot interaction between Max and Ben as Ben is drawn in drawn more into danger and Max tries to keep him safe without blowing his cover.

[Rosemary Gunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly beautiful. Loved every word. The emotional bond that grew between Ben and Max made my heart go wild. Wonderful story!

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its an ok read i guess... minimal character or plot development. both MC's are frustrating and I barely liked either of them. Over all a very forgettable story and characters

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rerated after review of ratings from uploaded personal ratings a couple of years ago.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoin this book. Quick entertaining read that I would recommend for anyone who loves this type of story.

And I knew that little shit Sugar was the dealer!

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting, fast paced novella with sexy goth MC's and a good story.

[The Bursting Bookshelf of a Wallflower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining short read with sweet characters. Unfortunately it was clear quite early who was behind the OD problem. 3 stars!