Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Tradeoff
SERIES: The ManLove Collection
AUTHOR: Susan Laine
PUBLISHER: Siren-BookStrand, Inc.
LENGTH: 115 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 18, 2017
BLURB:
Milo Blake and his best friend, Jasper Reed, are college freshmen. Their shared passion is cars. Milo will build them, Jasper will drive them. That’s been their post-college plan since they were kids.
Until the day Milo gives Jasper a chance to test drive a new sports car—and Jasper, in a daze, smacks a grateful kiss on Milo’s lips. That single, spontaneous act changes everything. At least it does for Milo. Now, he sees his best friend in a different light.
So, he devises a new plan. He offers Jasper a mutually beneficial tradeoff: the perfect car for Jasper, the full gay experience for Milo. Essential car parts in exchange for a wide range of sensual acts—and zero emotional complications. When Jasper surprises them both and agrees to the audacious proposition, he and Milo are in for the ride of their lives.
[Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Romance, M/M, HEA]
REVIEW:
Sounded like a fun premise but fell short for me.
Milo Blake is a freshman in college along with his best friend Jasper Reed. And that’s all they have been until one day, when Milo lets his buddy drive his new car, and Jasper unexpectedly gives him a surprise kiss for the experience. Milo has more than enough cars so he gives Jasper the car in trade for living out his biggest gay experience dreams. One piece of the car for each act.
My biggest problem going into this was I expected both young men to be gay and experienced. When that didn’t seem the case this felt a bit more like Jasper was a prostitute being paid for these sex acts with the car as a reward. It also felt a bit like Milo pushed his best friend into this because he knew that he needed a car for college. The fact that he didn’t know his best friend’s sexual preference and continued to push was off putting to me.
I can’t go into the additional reasons why I felt quite a bit of this was wrong but can tell you that when he discovered Jasper’s secret I was disappointed that he continued. Although this turned out fine in the end, it left a bit of a sour note in my stomach. Just not the book for me even though I was excited at the premise.
RATING: 
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