1 November 2016

Hotline by Quinn Anderson

Hey everyone,

The book I’m reviewing today is Hotline by Quinn Anderson, a contemporary M/M romance whose heroes meet over a sex-line… Not exactly the cute meet everyone is looking for! Also before I get into the nitty-gritty of the book, I want to thank Riptide Publishing for sending me a copy of this book, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

The book:

Zack never intended to become a phone sex operator, but with half a college degree and a smart mouth, his options were limited. It helps that he has a knack for thinking on his feet and a willingness to roll with whatever his clients throw at him. Sure, he gets his fair share of creeps and unconventional requests, but it pays the bills, and he’s in no danger of breaking his one rule: never fall for a client.

Until a man named “John” starts calling, and Zack finds himself interested in more than a paycheck. It’s not just that John has money, or that his rumbling baritone drives Zack wild. He’s everything Zack isn’t: educated, poised, and in total control of his life.

A twist of fate brings them face-to-face, and now that they’ve seen each other—and spent an unforgettable night together—they can’t go back to the way things were. A sex worker and a trust fund brat . . . It’s like Romeo and Juliet, but with less stabbing and slightly fewer dick jokes. Hopefully they can pull off a more successful ending.


My thoughts:

Perhaps my expectations are too high but when I finished Hotline I was left feeling flat. I certainly didn’t hate reading it, and I would be interested in reading more by Quinn Anderson, but it also didn’t wow me. I really enjoyed reading the build-up Zack and John’s first meeting. The sexual chemistry, when they had phone-sex, was incredible. Yet once they met the relationship was a little boring? For me, I felt they never progress after that point; perhaps because the major conversations and emotional engagement happened before they meet.

When Zack spoke again, his words reverberated in his chest, more vibration than actual sound. "I can promise you, I'm worth every penny."

Also, Hotline is told solely from Zack’s perspective. We get a lot of background information about his family, his neighbours and friendship circle. I felt I knew Zack and understood his motivations in life. I never felt I understood John. To me, he came across as a very two-dimensional character. He was rich. Came from a wealthy family. Liked phone-sex and that was about it. We never delve deeper than that. Also considering he is described as charming, handsome, wealthy and proudly out I didn’t really understand why he was using a phone-sex line in the first place?

Zack opened and closed is mouth several times before he managed to rasp, "John?" His own voice sounded foreign to him, and his tongue was thick in his mouth.

I found the drama surrounding Zack’s family a little prolonged. I liked knowing about Zack’s life outside of work and his relationship with John but I personally thought it took much of focus away from the main relationship. I think this added to the lack of information about John’s life outside of Zack left Hotline feeling imbalanced to me.  Overall this is why I didn’t enjoy it as much as I could have. When I’m reading a romance I want to care about all the leads. I want to know what makes them tick, what motivates them in life because this is how I become invested in the relationship.

Zack's insides squirmed in a pleasantly unpleasant way. The feeling was starting to become familiar to him. Nervousness, happiness, terror: the staples of his relationship with John.

Overall I’ve given Hotline a generous three stars because I did enjoy the first 55%, but the second half was disappointing. I would be intrigued to see what Quinn Anderson does next and see how her style as a writer develops. Unfortunately, Hotline just wasn’t the book for me.

My rating:


Happy reading and see you next time!

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