Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: The Intern
AUTHOR: Serena Akeroyd
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 304 pages
RELEASE DATE: December 15, 2020
BLURB:
Devlin
Sex comes with a price tag. One I’m quite willing to pay. In fact, I prefer it. It’s easier that way, and in my life, I prefer ease. Prefer for most things to be transactional.
So when the intern disrupts my day, I’m not happy about it. I have a dark and dirty little secret he knows about. One that could destroy my reputation in a world where reputation is everything. That makes him dangerous. He could ruin me professionally, wreck my life, but the touch of his mouth to mine, the feel of him in my arms—they’re all I can think about.
I’m intoxicated. Drunk on him, when I’ve always been sober.
Micah
I’m gay.
The freedom in admitting that is intoxicating. Enough to make me feel drunk with the relief of finally being myself. But what feels better? Devlin.
He’s my boss. He holds my future in his hands in more ways than he knows, but he isn’t as free as I am. Doesn’t have the same freedom I do to own up to what he is. Because of that, I know I’m losing him. I can feel us becoming DOA. But is he worth fighting for when he won’t admit what I am to him? What we mean to one another? I guess you’ll have to read on to find out…
REVIEW:
Trigger/Content Warning
Before I proceed, there needs to be a trigger/content warning for on-page rape and drugging of one of the heroes. The book includes neither warning, nor are they included in the blurbs on Amazon and Goodreads.
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He’s a British Viscount and the CEO of his family’s publishing company in New York City, but Devlin is unhappy and unsettled, living deep inside the closet to keep his bisexuality a secret. Sex with women has always been transactional – jewelry for sex – and with men it’s in a club dark room for when he needs to clear his head. That’s where he first meets the beautiful, anonymous Micah, during an illicit night at the club. It’s quite shocking when he later discovers Micah works as an intern at his company.
Micah: jock, high school prom king, heir to the family fortune, son of very religious parents. Unfortunately, they’re homophobic, fire–and–brimstone–in–hell religious zealots, and when Micah came out to them, he was disowned and kicked to the curb. Around Micah, Devlin is a different person than he is as the confident executive. He’s tongue tied and sweetly awkward, but thoughtful and caring. It seems Micah is the only person who ever flusters Devlin, and he’s also the first person Devlin truly cares about. Micah is awkward, too. This is, after all, a couple comprised of one high profile executive carefully in the closet with a man sixteen years his junior, who has only been out for a year, but has never been with a man sexually before Devlin.
Micah is plagued with uncertainty: what are the chances Devlin would risk everything on a twenty-two year old, dark room hook-up? Highly improbable, he knows. Micah is convinced Devlin will come to his senses and stick with women. It’s his “duty” to get married and provide progeny – really all that Devlin’s father cares about – and the pressure is oppressive. And even if Devlin is interested in pursuing something, Micah doesn’t want to be his dirty little secret. Devlin’s frightened, too, by the newness of the situation – he’s never been in a relationship. Devlin adores Micah, though, whom he regards as kind, gentle, and intelligent. But he feels he has nothing emotionally to give him. Micah’s young and needs to be free, or with a man his age who can show him off proudly and publicly.
A major part of the plot involves a highly unsavory predator in the company who’s sexually assaulting employees. The twist is, it’s a woman – the VP of Micah’s marketing department. I found there to be an underlying tension for a significant portion of the book knowing what was to befall Micah. It does, inevitably, and it’s awful and disturbing and heart breaking. The portrayal of the aftermath and recovery from the rape seem realistic, although, I have no personal basis of comparison, thank goodness. It is harrowing and Micah suffers for a long while. It serves as a turning point, however, in their relationship.
There’s a lot I enjoyed about The Intern, including the main characters and their developing relationship. Unfortunately, there is a giant plot hole with regard to the rapist and her abhorrent, criminal behavior before Micah’s rape that the company was aware of – including Devlin – and did nothing about. I don’t know how Devlin’s failure to take action can be excused and how Micah can forgive it. Someone even died as a result! This could’ve been written differently; as it stands, the only explanation for the company’s inaction is greed, and that’s unconscionable. This could’ve been a excellent book, but I feel this part was poorly written and unrealistic. And, the lack of trigger warnings is very unfortunate.
RATING: 
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