Review: Feel good contemporary M/M romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 20, 2014
I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.Liam is a dilgent, competent, assistant to Sebastian, CEO to an app development company. The men are both gay, out, and neither is in a relationship--but this is about to change for Sebastian. He's the newest "Bachelor" on a gay reality series where he will "find his soulmate". In the meantime, Sebastian's company is gearing up to launch a make-or-break app for the company: SeeMen, an app that allows gay men to find potential dates close to home.Sebastian thinks the reality show is a great way to subtly market his product, while also giving him the opportunity to meet men--he really works too hard to "date". He relies heavily on Liam, and will now call on him to help manage the details of the launch while he's wrapped up in the show's production.To this end, Liam and Sebation's daily interactions are limited to 30 minutes a day--maximum--to handle business needs that Liam must gain Sebastian's approval for before implementation. Oh, and Matt, a good friend of Liam's, just got picked to be one of the 20 men vying for Sebastian's favor.This is a classic "absence makes the heart grow fonder" story. While perusing his buffet of men, Sebastian can't help comparing all his suitors to his dependable, attractive assistant, Liam. He's also a bit clueless with regard to choosing which men to remove from the show, and presses Liam for his opinion on occasion.Liam, for his part, is regretting helping Sebastian in any way with the show--he's petrified of being on camera, and mortified to have un-professional (sexual) thoughts about his boss--Liam's the epitome of "clean cut" and is not a rule-breaker. And, he also witnesses Sebastian getting really close to Matt, which hurts.Their meet-ups to discuss work soon become strained with each man having a growing affection for the other, and yet, unsure how to handle the feelings--particularly in light of Sebastian's contract to choose one of the men on the show.The prose is clean and well-written. I had a few compunctions about a man willing to abandon his company at such a crucial business juncture--only to promote it with this type of show. Liam is a great character--conscientous and nervous and constantly thinking of Sebastian's needs. He is so afraid to reveal his true affection, fearing that doing so will embarrass Sebastion or cause him to breach his contract. Sebastian was more-or-less oblivious to his growing feelings for Liam until he has to maintain his distance--at which point he is frustrated, all the more so because Liam seems so aloof.I enjoyed the long build-up of sexual tension. There's a clear boundary the men can't cross--there's always a camera nearby--and Sebastian has a role to play, even if he no longer desires to do so. The end is HEA, so they do manage to work it all out, and I really enjoyed the way that happened. For me, Sebastian's "billionaire" status was neglible. None of the lavish types of experiences one might expect from a wealthy man wooing a lover happen--because it all occurs in the setting of this show. Sebastian can't wine-and-dine Liam, so I guess that's what comes next.The book contains a scene of unprotected sex. Usually I object to this, but both of these men have a history together, they aren't strangers, and with that there is a lot of trust in place before the deal is sealed. For me, it seemed a reasonable risk for these characters. I don't like to watch the bachelor shows this book celebrates, but it was a fun peek into how these shows come together--all the ways filming stifles the lives of the people on the show...I enjoyed that.It's also a super quick read.