Kristie J’s review of Price of a Kiss (Forbidden Men, Book 1) by Linda Kage
Contemporary Romance published by Linda Kage 14 Aug 13
I have a soft spot for heroes who are dragged into the “adult” business against their will. One of the reasons I don’t like Magic Mike is because they like what they do. It’s the ‘against their will, they want out’ kind of hero. That’s why Stinger by Mia Sheridan and Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone. So when I was browsing around and noticed the hero of this book, Mason Lowe, falls into this category, well, I simply had to get it, though it took me a few weeks before I did. But once I did start reading……
It was very hard to put the book down. In the prologue Mason Lowe is your normal teenage guy who had more than his share of responsibilities. His single mother is a flake. His father is not in the picture. So it’s up to Mason to be the main caregiver to his younger sister Sarah, who is dealing with MS. They are behind in their rent and the landlady is a cougar with very nasty, very sharp claws and is willing to accept the delay if virgin hero Mason is willing to get rid of her itch. He absolutely does not want to do it, but she gives him no options as she threatens to kick them out completely.
The book opens several years later when our heroine, Reese Randall, who is new on campus, happens to catch a glimpse of this really hot student, and when he glances her way at the same time, sparks fly. But her cousin, also a student at the college, lets her know that the hot guy in question is someone to keep away from. He’s a (in a whispered, horrified voice) gigolo. It’s only a rumor, though a very strong rumor.
But, hey, when sparks fly, sparks fly, and Reese and Mason slowly get to know each other. Then in an odd set of circumstances, Reese is hired to stay with Sara when both Mason and his mother are working. Mason confesses that he does service women. He hates doing it, but he feels he has to in order to take care of his family. Reese is very surprisingly accepting and non-judgmental with it, but then again at this point it’s only a friendship between the two of them. If anything, she is very upset on his part, that this is his lot. And Reese is hiding a big secret of her own, so she feels she’s not one to talk.
I love this love story between Mason and Jesse. I love both characters. I feel a great deal of sympathy for Mason. While at first glance this might seem to be a guy’s dream, in reality, because of the rumors swelling around him, he’s never had a normal relationship with a woman his age, which is something he longs for. As well, he has had the pressure of being the head of his household at much to early an age. This would be hard enough, but it’s worse because of the medical bills for his sister and the fact that his mother is fine with leaving everything in Mason’s hands. He really is a good, sensitive guy caught in a trap not of his own making.
And Reese is an equally compelling character. I love that she doesn’t sit in judgement of Mason and defends him when her cousin gives him a hard time. She’s had a very difficult time of it and without giving too much away, she is in hiding.
The author has such a way of writing that their growing love and yearning for each other almost comes alive. Told in alternate first person POV, it seems to bring us right into their lives. Although they are both quite young, I had no problem believing in their HEA as they both had experienced situations that aged them beyond their years and gave them a maturity they might not otherwise have.
As noted, this book came out in 2013, but I wasn’t reading NA in those days. So this author completely flew by my radar. The good thing, though, is she’s written a number of books in this series since then and I can have instant gratification in reading them instead of having to wait. I’ve already read the second book and just started the third.
If you’re like me and missed this series and you enjoyed either Fallen from Grace or Stinger, then I almost insist you give this one a try.
Grade: B+
Summary:
I don’t care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean—
Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.
It’s no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he’s just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate…except for one teeny tiny glitch.
He’s a gigolo.
Boy, do I know how to pick them.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
