Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Malibu

SERIES:  Elite 8 Studios

AUTHOR:  Emmy Sanders

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  328 pages

RELEASE DATE:  February 9, 2023

BLURB:

Falling for his client was never part of the plan.

Mal
Adult entertainer. Escort. Camboy. Surfer-bro. Malibu.

I’ve been called many names, yet no one knows the real me. Filming at Elite 8 Studios gave me the fresh start I was looking for, but now, my past is calling, and even working three jobs isn’t enough to keep me afloat. With my anxiety and panic attacks getting worse and my debts on the rise, something needs to change.

When I’m offered an outrageous sum for a new escorting gig, I can’t pass it up. The catch? I’ll be living in the client’s penthouse for the next six months. And I’ll be his—exclusively.

I’ve been warned Henrik is difficult, but all I see is a man who’s protective, caring, and lonely underneath that hard shell of his. He’s also blind. And yet, somehow, he sees me for exactly who I am.

Turning to this man I barely know for comfort is a bad idea—and falling for a client is even worse—but I can’t seem to stop. With only a few months left on our contract, can I convince Henrik to give us a real shot?

Or will I lose the only man who sees the real me?

Malibu is an age gap romance between older client and younger escort, with hurt/comfort, mental health struggles, plenty of sugar daddy jokes, fiercely loyal friends, and one very HEA. It’s book 2 in the Elite 8 Studios series but can be read as a standalone.

REVIEW:

Note:  This is the second in this series and contains only minor spoilers for the first book.  I can be read as a standalone, but the previous book is very well written and provides some of the context for Malibu and his porn career at Elite 8.

I am going to try to review this book without being spoilery.  There is a lot going on here and it’s revealed as the story goes on and it’s key to the character development of both Henrik and Malibu and their relationship.  Suffice to say that this story is both heartbreaking as well as heart warming.  Therefore, I’m going to dispense with the summary except to say that Malibu accepts a six month paying gig as an exclusive escort to a very wealthy man who is blind and needs company.  It’s a more than unusual request and the rules are nothing that Malibu expects.  But Malibu isn’t anything Henrik expects either.  Malibu is 27, but he’s more mature than the others that Henrik has tried.  And it’s clear pretty quickly that Mal has a dark past that he’s struggled to get away from.  He’s got good friends – well a few – but he’s got issues.

Henrik appears cold and aloof with his “rules” and he’s nothing like Malibu anticipates.  When Mal’s issues surface though, Henrik is immediately filled with a need to protect him.  He can tell that Mal is hiding something that has deeply affected him.  And it’s BIG!  But Mal struggles with it and can’t talk about it.  He’s not been able to afford either his meds or his therapy for over a year and that’s caused some regression.  The more time Henrik spends with Mal though, the more he sees what a wonderful person he is.  Volunteering at a cat rescue, the way he is with his friends, how much his family likes him.  There are things that Henrik hasn’t realized yet and he has never been interested in a relationship.  But Mal changes all that.

Oh man.  This book!  So many feels.  This is a rip your heart out and then put it back together type of book.  We got a glimpse of Malibu spiraling in Dix, the previous book in this series, but here we get the full backstory that gave rise to Malibu.  I don’t want to spoil this story here because I believe it’s best revealed through reading this book.  Suffice to say that Mal has demons not of his own making.  The stress he has been under to try to survive has resulted in his not being able to take care of his needs regarding his own mental health while he takes on the care of another.  The 6-month escort gig is the answer to his prayers.  Maybe.

Henrik is a surprise.  He’s blind, but he sees Malibu more clearly than anyone ever has.  What starts out as a paid companion gig changes pretty quickly when Henrik realizes what kind of a person Malibu really is.  Henrik isn’t looking for a relationship, but he is intrigues by Mal and comes to care of the mysterious man who seems to be suffering from unseen pain from his past.  Despite knowing that Mal is a beautiful man on the outside, it’s who Mal is on the inside that gets to Henrik.

These two men both have unrecognized and unfulfilled needs that miraculously are met in the other.  There are ups and downs and so many beautiful moments.  This book made me sad and happy both for the what has been and the what is and can be.  I absolutely loved this story.  I’m a huge fan of underdogs and I so wanted Malibu to find a safe and soft place to land.  Henrik has built walls and it was beautiful to watch how without really trying Malibu tears them down and Henrik lets him in.  It’s a really gorgeous story and I can’t recommend it more.  I loved it.  I might be on my best of list at the end of the year.

RATING:

BUY LINK:

Amazon