Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Addicted to Ellis D

AUTHOR: SE Harmon

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 324 pages

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2023

BLURB:

Chef Luca Alessi’s life is barely recognizable these days. He used to spend his days in the kitchen creating cutting-edge cuisine. Now he’s trying to keep his family’s restaurant and legacy alive. It doesn’t help that his father was keeping secrets before he passed. On the relationship front, his ex, Colin, assured him that their divorce would be simple. And now? Not so much. So who could blame Luca for wanting to avoid any entanglements? He’s not ashamed to hire someone for a couple hours of fun. But this new guy is hard to keep at arm’s length.

When life lands Ellis Day on the streets—again—he’s not about to wallow in self-pity. He’s done it before, he can do it again. And if that involves selling something he previously considered unsellable, then that’s just what he’ll do. He’s not all that experienced working in the sex industry, but it should be easy enough. Get in, get paid, get out. But then there’s Luca. And suddenly the rules don’t apply.

When Luca discovers Ellis’s living situation, things get more complicated still. Luca offers him a job and a place to live. Of course, their new arrangement means nothing else can happen between them—at least in Luca’s eyes. He’s determined to be a friend to Ellis…to give him everything he needs. Ellis is determined to show him that the only thing he needs is Luca.

REVIEW:   

S.E. Harmon’s latest hurt/comfort (my favorite!), age gap, opposites attract romance is fantastic! I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a heartwarming, sexy story balancing need and want, hurt and comfort, family, friends, and unconditional love. Ellis and Luca are well-developed, endearing characters you’ll fall in love with. It has a fantastic ending and there’s even a dog which, let’s face it, enhances any book. There’s a reason they’re called man’s best friend.

I’m going to begin this review a little differently than usual by focusing on a very supportive supporting character. I’m talking about a VIP – a Very Important Pet – named Dog. He becomes a true friend for Ellis at a time when those are thin on the ground. He protects Ellis and provides unconditional love and a constancy so scarce in his life. I bring this up now to stress what a low point Ellis is at in his life.

He has no job, no money, and nowhere to go. He was just fired from his minimum wage job, his only real friend and roommate, Jamie, is moving to another city, and Ellis doesn’t have the money for rent. When he finds himself homeless for the sixth or seventh time in as many years, he has to resort to the last thing he ever wanted to do again – turning tricks. “My life had been a game of survival from the very beginning. And the line to what was acceptable moved every day.”

Ellis had a horrendous upbringing and all he craves now is stability and the most basic of needs – a home, food, and a safe job that doesn’t crush his soul or endanger him. This is when he encounters Dog, who helps to repair that hurting soul just a bit and just won’t leave.

Then restaurateur Luca enters the picture when he hires Ellis for his sexual services. There’s an instant connection with both men liking the other more than they should given the nature of their relationship. They’re more than just a john and rent boy; they develop a friendship and Luca, a natural caregiver, is compelled to help Ellis. “It was the closest I’d felt to human in… well, it was the closest I’d felt to human ever. I looked forward to it. More than I should.” Can they become more? Luca says it’s inappropriate once he hires Ellis and, naturally, Ellis feels he’s not good enough for Luca – they’re not equals in any way.

Ostensibly, Luca has a wonderful life with close family bonds, good friends and running the family’s restaurant. But he has his share of demons and heartbreak, and personal dreams that are passing him by. He is deeply distressed when he discovers Ellis is homeless and it puts his own life in perspective. “There was no pretending this was something other than what it was. He was homeless. My fucking Ellis was homeless. It was enough to make me want to hit something. Or cry.”

Harmon builds upon the theme of support with her side characters, including Luca’s loving mom and sisters. Luca works so hard to protect them from certain truths but they all stand up and tell him it’s not his responsibility to carry the weight of those secrets alone. Luca’s chef, Hayden, and manager, Gio, are no nonsense, longtime friends who easily accept Ellis as someone important to Luca. They understand he’s not just an employee, and despite their differences and a fourteen year age gap, Hayden and Gio remain non-judgmental.

One of my favorite things about Harmon’s writing has always been the dry, witty humor scattered throughout her books. It’s very distinctive to me from other authors. I think I could recognize her books from just the one-liners. This book, like all her others, is so subtly hilarious.

“His hair was in my face, once again putting on a one-man show entitled, The Fuck Is A Brush?“

I was nearly brought to tears at times, either from laughter or the sadness and inequality in life. But Harmon wraps it all up with a very satisfying, storybook ending. The epilogue is everything!

Everyone deserves someone special in their life, whether it’s a loyal dog who stands by you or that one perfect person who stands with you through the joys and hardships dealt their way. Ellis and Luca become those people for each other and perhaps their relationship is not that unequal after all.

Highly recommended.

RATING:

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