Quid Pro Quo

Quid Pro Quo is a short story and the first in L. A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov’s Market Garden series that follows a group of rentboys at a high-class London club of the same name. In this one, we have Jared and Tristan. Jared has been working at Market Garden for six months to supplement his income while attending college, while Tristan is an old hand at the trade. Jared has been crushing on Tristan almost as long as he’s been at the club, but always thought Tristan was out of his league. In the weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday, business has been slow, which has really been pinching Jared’s budget. On a particularly slow night, Jared decides to chat up Tristan, and just as they’re starting to get to know one another show more better, a businessman approaches with a fat wallet and a special request: he wants to watch Tristan and Jared get it on together. The money the job promises would be more than welcome, but even more importantly Jared can hardly believe that he’s finally going to be able to live out all his sexy fantasies with Tristan. But will it only be for the one night?

This story is written entirely from Jared’s third-person perspective, but I really liked both him and Tristan. Jared seems a little more on the quiet and sweet side, while Tristan is the charismatic charmer with confidence to spare. Although Jared’s been seriously attracted to Tristan for a while, he never thought he’d ever have a chance with a guy like him, so the john’s proposal is a welcome one that leaves Jared determined to enjoy every minute of their interactions in case it’s a one-shot deal. Admittedly this story is very short with Tristan and Jared’s relationship barely getting off the ground, so we don’t learn a great deal about their backgrounds. It’s mostly all about the sex, but I’m hardly complaining, because it was extremely well-written and deliciously steamy. It ends on more of an HFN vibe, which might have downgraded my rating a bit, except that I already know there are two more stories in the series that are all about these two men, the next one, Take It Off, and the sixth one, Payoff. That being the case this one simply whetted my appetite to read more about Tristan and Jared’s developing relationship as well as learn more about the other guys at the club. So all in all, Quid Pro Quo was a short, sexy tease that left me begging for more.;-)

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, including voyeurism/exhibitionism, sex work, power play, and a little MMM menage action, which could be objectionable to sensitive readers. show less

This is an utterly sexy, and very, very hot short story. I thoroughly enjoyed the tension and the characters' ability to negotiate. Well, Tristan's at least, Jared was less – focused on anything other than Tristan's body and his own pleasure. I loved how he kept reminding himself that he was "only performing" and it made me smile: he didn’t really convince himself and certainly left me with a raised eyebrow. Not that this reduced my enjoyment, on the contrary!

Tristan is the experienced rent boy here, and he certainly impressed Jared (and me) with his ability to keep a somewhat cool head as the scene with the john was progressing. Always mindful of the need to make as much money as possible while the two of them "perform" for their show more client, he cleverly uses the man's need for more to extract a higher sum. Tristan's reaction and proposal at the end made me wonder though – exactly how much is he into Jared? And did he or did he not use this opportunity to get exactly what he wanted from the "new guy on the block"? Future installments might (or might not) show us the truth.

Jared is slightly clueless and I suspect he's been bluffing himself through the last six months of working at the club. He can clearly attract someone's attention and deal with the simpler stuff, but when the real pros in manipulation start to play, Jared is just a little bit lost. Not that it matters – his reactions were very natural, and he does have a talent for playing a role, even if he constantly has to remind himself that that's what he's doing. The thing is, he may be getting paid for his performance with Tristan, but the fact that he has a crush for his colleague and feels real lust, makes it a great performance for the client (including the reader) as well as a wonderful scene for him.

The big question here is: what is play and what is real? The authors lead us through this masterfully well, and I loved every minute of it. So far in the series the action was all physical, but Jared already came dangerously close to feeling emotions that might be considered inappropriate for a rent boy. I look forward to seeing more! If you like your short stories super-hot, and if you've always wondered what two rent boys might get up to when asked to perform together, you will probably like this story. Just make sure you have some ice water and/or a fan handy as you read it.





NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

This is an utterly sexy, and very, very hot short story. I thoroughly enjoyed the tension and the characters' ability to negotiate. Well, Tristan's at least, Jared was less – focused on anything other than Tristan's body and his own pleasure. I loved how he kept reminding himself that he was "only performing" and it made me smile: he didn’t really convince himself and certainly left me with a raised eyebrow. Not that this reduced my enjoyment, on the contrary. I loved their exploits as much on this second reading as during the first.

Tristan is the experienced rent boy here, and he certainly impressed Jared (and me) with his ability to keep a somewhat cool head as the scene with the john was progressing. Always mindful of the need to show more make as much money as possible while the two of them "perform" for their client, he cleverly uses the man's need for more to extract a higher sum. Tristan's reaction and proposal at the end made me wonder though – exactly how much is he into Jared? And did he or did he not use this opportunity to get exactly what he wanted from the "new guy on the block"? Future installments might (or might not) show us the truth.

Jared is slightly clueless and I suspect he's been bluffing himself through the last six months of working at the club. He can clearly attract someone's attention and deal with the simpler stuff, but when the real pros in manipulation start to play, Jared is just a little bit lost. Not that it matters – his reactions were very natural, and he does have a talent for playing a role, even if he constantly has to remind himself that that's what he's doing. The thing is, he may be getting paid for his performance with Tristan, but the fact that he has a crush on his colleague and feels real lust, makes it a great performance for the client (including the reader) as well as a wonderful scene for him.

The big question here is: what is play and what is real? The authors lead us through this masterfully well, and I loved every minute of it. So far in the series the action was all physical, but Jared already came dangerously close to feeling emotions that might be considered inappropriate for a rent boy. I look forward to seeing more! If you like your short stories super-hot, and if you've always wondered what two rent boys might get up to when asked to perform together, you will probably like this story. Just make sure you have some ice water and/or a fan handy as you read it.


NOTE: This book was provided by the authors for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. show less

How much do I LOVE positive portrayals of sex work/sex workers? [Spoiler alert: A LOT!]

This little smutty story of wonder is straight to business and no nonsense sexy times. Jared and Tristan are rent boys (or prostitutes to us Americans) waiting around for a client on a slow day at the Market Garden, a high end brothel. The boys don’t have to wait for long. An interested john appears with a very particular taste. He wants them both for a night, but the catch is he into watching.

Now, normally this wouldn’t be that special, but Jared has been nursing a crush on Tristan pretty much since he started working at Market Garden. Thus begins the longest night, and possibly the greatest sex of his life.

I adore the emotional wrinkle in what show more could have easily been a very “wham bam” sex story. Jared’s tension added to the atmosphere and eroticism of the story. It is easy to see why he likes Tristan. That boy is sex on two legs, with a brain to boot.

This boy isn’t just a pretty face. He knows how to work a client and plays a fascinating game of baiting and then reeling in the john (or rather his money) while seducing Jared.

While there isn’t any traditional set pieces of BDSM, this story has an undercurrent of power play, dominance and submission, even delayed orgasm play that will appeal to fans of the D/s dynamic. In fact, I felt like the author did a wonderful job of balancing the realism of sex for pay with eroticism, leaving this story hovering in the tension-filled middle ground.

This however is not a romance. Not in the traditional sense. It is about sex, and compatibility with a dash of taboo for flavor. If you like gay erotica and D/s dynamics this just might be the book for you.

I know that I’m going to continuing reading the entire series. Mark me down and hooked.

Disclaimer: I was give a free copy to read in exchange for an honest review. show less

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A Titillating Treat of Teasing Tension!!!!

Aww, poor Jared, he's about to forget all of his money woes while being slowly...driven...out...of...his...mind. Luckily, he's being tantalized by the very tasty Tristan. Torquing the entire tale is the john, or "Rolex" as we come to know him.

God, but he was turned on, and he didn't know who was controlling this little game: Tristan, who withheld action for money, or the john, who could turn up the heat any time he wanted to he if would just stop fucking around and put some bloody money on the table.

Trousers, treasure trails, throats, touches and telltale smacks. Yeah...and I've only pulled out some of the 'T' words. Oh, and let's not forget about Tristan. Tantalizing, twisted Tristan. Did show more I already mention him?

Tristan's boneless figure solidified one liquid joint at a time, and he sat up, rolling his shoulders under his slick, black shirt.

Give yourself a treat and enjoy this tale. The incredibly well paced tease is very worth your time.

Btw, you might want to read this quickie in a quiet, comfy place. Alone. Or then again, maybe not entirely alone.

Enthusiastically Recommended

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I wholeheartedly thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

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Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:


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So I finally read this book, and while I agree it was hot, I wasn't really liking Tristan. I felt like his actions and dealings with the john made it seem like he was just in it for the money, and I felt kind of badly for Jared. Maybe I only felt that way because we didn't get inside Tristan's head in this book, and maybe I shouldn't talk about book 2 in my review of book 1, but I'm reading book 2 now, and I'm confused. In book 2, we're in Tristan's head. He wants a relationship with Jared, but now he's upset and jealous because Jared is more confident and sleeping with johns without Tristan again, and he thinks Jared's just in it for the money. I think it serves him right after his behavior in Quid Pro Quo.

So I finally read this book, and while I agree it was hot, I wasn't really liking Tristan. I felt like his actions and dealings with the john made it seem like he was just in it for the money, and I felt kind of badly for Jared. Maybe I only felt that way because we didn't get inside Tristan's head in this book, and maybe I shouldn't talk about book 2 in my review of book 1, but I'm reading book 2 now, and I'm confused. In book 2, we're in Tristan's head. He wants a relationship with Jared, but now he's upset and jealous because Jared is more confident and sleeping with johns without Tristan again, and he thinks Jared's just in it for the money. I think it serves him right after his behavior in Quid Pro Quo.