Review: His Client
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2011
Jasper is a prostitute at Madame Delacroix's brothel serving the needs of clientele that not only prefer the company of men but also those with more eccentric tastes in the bedroom. But Jasper looks forward to his time with one client in particular. During the time he has worked at the brothel Jasper has developed a fondness for Nate. Nate has confided in him over the years and as a result Jasper has come to think of Nate as a friend and has even secretly fallen in love with him. However he is fully aware that his love is unrequited and Nate sees him as exactly what he is, someone he pays to serve his needs.Nate comes to Jasper seeking comfort when a long-time friend of his is getting married. Nate has been in love with this friend for years but has never told him although they had a brief physical encounter when they were very young. Broken-hearted Nate finds both friendship and understanding in the arms of Jasper as well as a man who is more than willing to entertain his desire for a bit of sexual kink. Unfortunately he does not realize his romantic feelings for Jasper until it's time for Jasper to move on and make a life for himself away from the brothel. He may have lost his chance at true love forever.Friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite themes in romance. Mostly because the couple already have a foundation for their relationship and I love the sexual tension as the characters take the next step from friends to a more intimate relationship. But Nate and Jasper are a little different because they have established a friendship and their relationship is already sexual, they just haven't confessed their love for one another. It is through their sexual relationship and the trust that comes with indulging in somewhat taboo sexual practices that have created a bond between these two men. One having fallen in love and the other not realizing he is in love until it may be too late.Oh how I love the characters that Ava March creates. Not only are Nate and Jasper passionate and lusty, but they are vulnerable and loveable making it very easy to see why they are attracted to each other. Jasper is so open to Nate with how he listens to him and supports him, however when it comes to sharing his heart and feelings for Nate he is careful to protect his own heart. Nate is looking for love not realizing it's very well within his grasp and has been for a very long time. He is kind and never treats Jasper as `just a prostitute', instead treating him as a friend by confiding in him as he unknowingly fuels the fire for Jasper's passion for him.Since this book included a bit of kink I must mention the sex scenes. They are HOT and because the characters are so emotionally connected the erotic aspect worked well. What fell a little short though were the scenes where Jasper donned a corset or a shift and a little lip rouge to indulge Nate's exotic tastes. Whenever an author introduces a little extra spice, I like to know why the character enjoys a particular kink and what it does for them. I want inside their head and I want to know what turns their crank. I didn't get a good feel for why Nate liked Jasper a little dressed up and pretty, only that he did.His Client is a very emotional erotic m/m romance. The heroes are sexy, loveable and passionate, just the way I like them. Yet another win from Ava March.