Book Review ~ Unfreezing by Parker Avrile
Unfreezing
Author: Parker Avrile
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: Novella, 100 pages (28,000 words)
Publication Date: Dec. 20, 2016
Heat Level: Three flames (some language and adult situations)
Author Website: http://www.therunawaymodel.com/
Unfreezing is on a pre-order 99 cent sale is at Amazon through Dec. 24.
All of the other store links are here: books2read.com/u/3kZBBn
Blurb:
Can a younger man and his talented dog put a phobic screenwriter on the red arrivals carpet at the Academy Awards ceremony?
Chance looks like success. The white-hot gay screenwriter of the moment simply must attend the Academy Awards. But Chance has a secret-- severe agoraphobia. Sometimes he can't even leave his building. Chance has tried everything. Except Nolan...
His hired genius turns out to be red hot, but Chance needs to play it cool. He can't blow this opportunity. With the help of a quirky Jack Russell Terrier, Nolan can train Chance to operate a telepresence robot from Manhattan to walk the red carpet for him in Hollywood. The stunt will be great publicity for both men. It's about show business, not monkey business.
Training Chance leads to touching, but Nolan tells himself to go slow. The sophisticated older man is way out of his league. So how did they end up together at a rooftop party on New Year's Eve?
Excerpt:
Chance wanted him. The question was, did he want him for a night, or did he want something deeper? If he was just fooling around, it could get messy for the job if they got too deep too fast. Nolan was still debating what he should do when Chance hooked his arm in his to walk him down the street to Chance's building.
"You live in the same building where you work?"
"Yeah, actually..." Chance hesitated as if debating with himself about how much he should say. "Not too many people know this, but I own that building."
Nolan knew Chance had money. Of course he had money, or he couldn't hire Nolan in the first place. But Manhattan real estate money? "Representing hot models must pay a lot better than I thought."
"I do all right."
At this hour, the doorman and the guy at the podium usually signed people in, but they recognized Chance and waved him up.
"Do they know you own the building?"
"Actually, they don't. I have a holding company."
Nolan wondered why Chance had told him. Of course. The obvious reason. He wanted to impress his younger date. Either that, or it wasn't even true-- but Nolan's spidey sense told him Chance wasn't lying. He'd spin a story about a celebrity but not about this.
"I don't want to be bothered by maintenance about every little thing when I'm trying to work or just live my life."
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone you're the king."
Chance's apartment was surprisingly small-- more a large hotel suite than a home. Floor-to-ceiling windows. A treadmill. A king-sized bed. A desk. A tiny wet bar with a mini-fridge and a coffee maker. Less floor space than you'd think. There was a temporary feel to the place, although apparently he'd lived there for years.
"Coffee? Or... I know." Chance waggled a black and red bottle of Tia Maria. "I make a mean espresso martini."
"I'm fine." Nolan's heart was pounding. He didn't need any stimulants on top of Chance's intoxicating presence.
Chance touched his face, turning his chin toward the floor-to-ceiling glass. Both of them gazed out at an infinity of city lights. "Do you want to do this?"
"I... I don't know if it's a good idea. You're a client."
"I know that all too well. I'm tempted to fire you so we can date. But I can't. I really need you to do this job for me."
"We can take things slow. Get to know each other a little better."
Chance slid around to embrace him from behind so they could both look out at the glittery holiday lights of December in Manhattan. Their bodies fit together well, even through clothes, since they were almost exactly the same height.
"Sure. Nice and slow. Nice and slow and easy..."
4.5 Stars!
I have got to say Parker Avrile really seems to be coming into her own as an author. Over the past year as I have reviewed more and more of her books, I've have seen a lot of growth in her writing. Now, I'm not saying that she wasn't a good writer before, I've enjoyed most of her books I've had the opportunity to review. With Unfreezing, however, it felt even more polished, deeper in some way. Personally, I am not a fan of Science Fiction but even though this story had some sci-fi elements (robotics), I very much enjoyed it. I even found myself picturing it quite vividly in my mind.
Chance may seem as if he has it all. He's a successful screenwriter, good looking and sophisticated. Receiving an invitation to attend the Academy Awards should be a dream come true. However, when you suffer the type of debilitating anxiety that makes it impossible to leave the close confines of his Manhattan home and office, there is absolutely no way he'll be able to walk the red carpet. Enter Nolan...
Nolan is a Robotics expert specializing in robots that are able to take their operator's place at various and even long distance locations. Nolan is assisted by his specially trained Jack Russell Terrier, who instantly takes a liking to Chance. Of course, the dog isn't the only one. Nolan can't help but feel an intense attraction to Chance who he knows feels the same. No matter how bad form it is to get into a relationship with a client, the men can't fight it and soon they find themselves more than just business associates.
Unfortunately, Nolan has no idea how extreme Chance's anxiety truly is. He'll have to figure out how to deal with it or if he'd rather walk away. And Chance will have to finally decide if he is going to let his illness take over his life or if he's going to fight to get better. After all, is it really living if he never leaves the safety of his office?
I liked both characters a lot. They were both very relatable and down to earth. There was good chemistry between the both of them from almost the beginning and I loved the way they interacted with one another.
The story itself was interesting and unique. While it was such a normal everyday world, there was the introduction of these robots that gave it a futuristic feel almost. I wish I had one of my own, to tell the truth. I liked how we get to see how much work goes into the client learning to use his robot, as it's not this immediate thing. They have to learn how to operate it and get used to the impact it has on the body. It was very well done.
Overall, I really enjoyed Unfreezing and would definitely recommend it.
*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*
About The Author:
I ran away to Vegas. Now I'm running from it. Currently, I'm in an undisclosed location writing slightly spicy, slightly angsty male/male romances that explore the glittering world of beautiful male models, talented yet troubled musicians, and alleged billionaires who may not be what they appear to be.From time to time, I'll be offering free books or other giveaways to my readers. Check it out: http://www.therunawaymodel.com/enter/
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