Review: My New Favorite!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 4, 2014
'The Professional' by The Black was like three books for the price of one. I was curious to read it because I wondered what could possibly lead a man to become a male escort. Well, the answer was just about what you might think -- the money, of course. Lucas Cain's reasons for his profession were the most ordinary aspect of this story, but not in a bad way--nothing romanticized about his choice, he just needed the dough. Everything else, including the author's execution of the tale, however was extraordinary.Lucas Cain is on the cusp of adulthood and about to lose his aunt, the only mother-figure he's known since he lost his mother as a young boy. He is staring into the abyss of an uncertain future both financially and emotionally. After the initiation of a sexual relationship with a much older woman who acquaints him with the pleasures of giving pleasure, he is paid for his silence. Payment for discretion gradually morphs into payment for the sex itself. Under the later tutelage of an early client (with whom he forms a later long-term relationship), Lucas also learns the value that women place on something that goes well beyond the sex--true, attentive companionship. This lesson is what catapults Lucas Cain to the top of the game. The first part of the book, Lucas' initiation was for me like an uncommon coming of age story. Not only does Lucas go from boy to man by learning how to please a woman, he also becomes a man when he loses his mother-figure and finds himself, for all intents and purposes, alone in the world.The next part of Lucas' journey details his various clients and sexual conquests, explaining for the reader why he's "all that". But more than that, with each client described in this part of the story, we learn more about Lucas as a man, not just his sexual exploits. While he loves to "love" women physically, he is not inclined to have emotional attachments. Though the writer doesn't say as much, it seems likely that the loss of his mother and aunt make him a little gun-shy of those attachments, not to mention that they are impractical given his profession. Still, he does form friendships based on loyalty and trust, both of which seem to be important values for him. The premium Lucas places on those things are sorely tested in this section of the book, which unlike the previous is filled with intrigue, suspense and even action. This part details the turning point for Lucas, when he begins to look forward to ending his days as a male escort and finding something deeper. Though the "something deeper" he envisions is a relationship with a woman as partner and mate, it shows up in quite another form,. The foreshadowing of this development in Lucas' life was brilliantly done, and my absolute favorite part of the book. It was one of those things where the clues were laid out, and the pieces provided to the reader, but the significance only revealed much later and in such a way that you're surprised, but not really.The final part of the book shows Lucas coming full circle. He has accomplished everything that he can as 'the Professional' and now is still engaged in his work more out of habit and the inability to envision anything else that would make it worthwhile to stop. The impetus to stop, it turns out, has been there beneath his nose for many years. This section of the book is about him daring to reach for it and believe that he can have a different kind of life, even as the old one continues to tug at him. It's time for Lucas to pay the Piper--to decide whether the life he has is the one he wants, or whether he can dare to hope and reach for something different. By now, he is older and wiser, but no less wary of attachment than he was in the beginning and middle of the book.This final section of 'The Professional' felt conclusive to me. By that I mean, I was completely and entirely satisfied with where Lucas Cain wound up. I was sorry to see him go, but happy to have joined him on part of the journey. If you read this book (and believe me, you should!) I wager you will feel the same.Excellent work by The Black.