Review: Great start to a series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 12, 2014
I received a copy of this book via Goodreads' Don't Buy My Love program in exchange for an honest review.Kenon Alavi is a famous artist, highly sought for portrait work of the rich and famous. Kenon is openly gay and enjoys seducing the male partners/husbands of his female clientele. He was hurt, deeply, by a former lover and it has taken a toll on his willingness to pursue another relationship. He also heads the Gallant Gentlemens' Guild, or G3, a collective of artisans of all stripes that live in a renovated set of brownstones on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The commissions of the many artisans--mainly Kenon's--fund their artiste lives. Of course, it's always good to have money and Russian "artist/businessman/gangster" Andrei is interested in franchising the G3 in Russia, which would mean a lot of money for Kenon, but the price of associating with the coarse man is a bit steep, in Kenon's high opinion.At the display of three of Kenon's latest works, Kenon meets Wallace "Wally" Harte, aspiring writer and full-time bartender. Wally is startled by the attention the famous artist pays him, certainly because this famous man can't possibly sense Wally's attraction. Can he?Well, Kenon's uber-frustrated that the tasty morsel of innocence at the bar escaped before he could whet his whistle. So, he seeks him out and the chase is on.Determined to have Wally, Kenon decides to hire him as a part-time assistant, then he learns Wally is a writer. This is a problem--Kenon's terrified that Wally will make a scandalous book embarrassing him worse than his former lover had. He moves slowly, however, toward sating his attraction--frustrating himself and Wally in the process. At least Wally knows what to do with his sexual tension:  pour it into an erotic novel, with Kenon as the main character.When Andrei makes his move to gain Wally's favor Kenon can't hold back any longer. They finally do the deed! Of course, learning that Wally wrote a tell-all book about Kenon sends the artist into apoplexy. Will these two be able to reconcile? Are they meant for more than one night?I really enjoyed this one. The language is lovely, and seeing the vulnerable man beneath Kenon's haughty persona was a great change. Also, watching Wally develop his confidence, first as a writer and then as a man and lover was a sweet experience. This book is the beginning of a series, and we can see the development of many story lines to address going forward. The clear antagonism of Andrei will certainly carry forward, however I hope we get to see more of Kenon and Wally.For a M/M romance this one is a lot on the build up and a little on the smexytimes. Most of the scenes were told as asides/flashbacks or imagined through Wally's writing passages. Would have liked a little more meat on the bones, so to speak, but it's an interesting story with great characterization, nonetheless. I was afraid it would rush the end, but no, it didn't.