A male escort finds himself falling in love with a client in this debut novel.

David Henderson is in his 50s, wealthy, and retired from a successful consulting career. And now, thanks to a compliment from a former lover that she’d “pay for sex this good,” he’s a companion for hire on New York’s Upper East Side. David’s duties range from accompanying the rich octogenarian Victoria around town to various glamorous benefits and parties to indulging the BDSM fantasies of slightly unhinged younger women, like Lauren. He enjoys his work, collects his money, and moves on—until Janet Saunders hires him for the evening. She’s smart, independent, and has a penchant for sexy Christian Louboutin high heels, which she keeps on during their lovemaking escapades. Conversation flows as freely as expensive liquor, and the duo’s sexual chemistry is fierce. David is instantly smitten, and the two become close as their paid encounters become more frequent. He even accompanies Janet on a business trip to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, a second “date” with Lauren—who has already praised David’s attributes via Twitter—has deadly results and he finds his future with Janet in serious jeopardy. At 152 pages, Harrison’s book is short and action-packed, and contains an excellent plot twist at the end of Chapter 1. Sadly, the author often skips over captivating topics like how David has maintained his privacy and sense of self as a sex worker, and why exactly he finds Janet so intriguing over all his other clients. Instead, Harrison pens copious sex scenes that are not only repetitive (the author seems unaware that lovemaking styles vary by individual; not every woman expresses ecstasy by screaming), but also use immature terms like “lovely boobs.” Most troubling, Harrison equates a love for kink with a penchant for hard drugs, possessive behavior, and a disrespect for one’s privacy on social media—all featured in the character of Lauren, who from beginning to end seems too cartoonish to be real.

A lively but uneven romance.