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Hooked
Robin goes out to have an itch scratched and ends up with more than he bargained for in Tyler. Or maybe he didn't bargain enough.
Robin Lloyd has it all, he's successful, makes good money, and he's handsome enough to get laid without having to think twice about it.
Tyler Anthony, the lay of the day, catches him off guard in more ways than one. Robin has no idea he's taking a prostitute home, or that he's going to become addicted to the guy, even if the sex they're having could hardly be mistaken for affectionate.
Robin Lloyd has it all, he's successful, makes good money, and he's handsome enough to get laid without having to think twice about it.
Tyler Anthony, the lay of the day, catches him off guard in more ways than one. Robin has no idea he's taking a prostitute home, or that he's going to become addicted to the guy, even if the sex they're having could hardly be mistaken for affectionate.
62 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 8, 2013
60 people want to read
About the author
Indra Vaughn
21 books211 followersAfter living in Michigan, USA for seven wonderful years, Indra Vaughn returned back to her Belgian roots. There she will continue to consume herbal tea, do yoga wherever the mat fits, and devour books while single parenting a little boy and working as a nurse.
The stories of boys and their unrequited love will no doubt keep finding their way onto the page--and hopefully into readers hands--even if it takes a little more time.
And if she gleefully posts pictures of snow-free streets in winter, you'll have to forgive her. Those Michigan blizzards won't be forgotten in a hurry.
The stories of boys and their unrequited love will no doubt keep finding their way onto the page--and hopefully into readers hands--even if it takes a little more time.
And if she gleefully posts pictures of snow-free streets in winter, you'll have to forgive her. Those Michigan blizzards won't be forgotten in a hurry.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
August 27, 2013
I enjoyed this short little hot story, but there were times when I felt I missed reading a few crucial paragraphs.
First, the guys were about to get down and dirty, then it happened, but not on the page. I was left with feeling of loss. Where was the actual scene that went with that part? Not sure, but after the steamy build up, I was ready for it.
The other crucial part I missed was closer to the end and had to do with Tyler. I felt we never really got his whole story. He's a lawyer by day, prostitute by night. He clearly has some family issues and other reasons for his nighttime employment, but I never really understood them, just that they were there.
Aside from these, it was a hot little story. Robin mistakenly brings Tyler home not realizing he is a prostitute. He goes through with it anyway, and Tyler gets under Robin's skin. They play cat and mouse for a bit, one walking away, then the other, one pushing, then the other. When Tyler needs help, he calls Robin, though we never really understand why, when he almost immediately (not long after that phone call ends) pushes him away.
When they are together, it is easy to see the attraction. Had the holes been filled in, this would have been a much more well rounded story.
November 29, 2015
3.5
So...this was okay. I was kind of thrown at the start when the first time they have sex, it was not detailed--I actually missed that they'd even had sex at all until a few paragraphs later when Robin was talking about how amazing it was. It makes me feel like someone slashed a few paragraphs without adjusting for them having been removed. MLR is not known for particularly good editing, and I have to wonder what the hell happened here.
I didn't care for Tyler through a large chunk of the story. He eventually softened up enough to that I didn't want him to just walk away, but it took a bit too long, and I spent most of the story wishing Robin would just go find a nice guy somewhere--someone who wasn't a total asshole.
I think this story suffered because I've read other stories about the same topic that were done much better. I had a hard time not comparing them. This also took place over a very long period of time (a couple years? I'm not really sure), and it was kind of too long and too spread out. I appreciate that she didn't try to rush them together, but at the same time the way they careened off each other like pinballs, only to happen across each other later, didn't work all that well for me.
By and large I love Indra's writing, but this one isn't my favorite of her works. And for those who haven't read any other prostitute stories or stories with the same premise, this one might be just fine.
So...this was okay. I was kind of thrown at the start when the first time they have sex, it was not detailed--I actually missed that they'd even had sex at all until a few paragraphs later when Robin was talking about how amazing it was. It makes me feel like someone slashed a few paragraphs without adjusting for them having been removed. MLR is not known for particularly good editing, and I have to wonder what the hell happened here.
I didn't care for Tyler through a large chunk of the story. He eventually softened up enough to that I didn't want him to just walk away, but it took a bit too long, and I spent most of the story wishing Robin would just go find a nice guy somewhere--someone who wasn't a total asshole.
I think this story suffered because I've read other stories about the same topic that were done much better. I had a hard time not comparing them. This also took place over a very long period of time (a couple years? I'm not really sure), and it was kind of too long and too spread out. I appreciate that she didn't try to rush them together, but at the same time the way they careened off each other like pinballs, only to happen across each other later, didn't work all that well for me.
By and large I love Indra's writing, but this one isn't my favorite of her works. And for those who haven't read any other prostitute stories or stories with the same premise, this one might be just fine.
December 18, 2013
That was... a lot better than I thought it would be, to be honest. Sure, Tyler was a pretty big brat, I thought - and he came across a lot younger than he was supposed to be ().
But there was a certain longing and need in the writing here that saturated every word and every sentence. And that need sucked me in until I had no other choice but just to read this short in one go without doing anything else in between. To me, what the story may have lacked was more than made up for by Indra Vaughn's writing.
Four stars for that!
But there was a certain longing and need in the writing here that saturated every word and every sentence. And that need sucked me in until I had no other choice but just to read this short in one go without doing anything else in between. To me, what the story may have lacked was more than made up for by Indra Vaughn's writing.
Four stars for that!
March 4, 2015
A pretty perfect title because this is one of those stories that does get its hooks into you though Im not sure thats a good thing in this case. Ive read this before as a Merlin fanfic (which I didn't realise till I'd bought it and recognised its eerie familiarity) and that original story was also memorable because it left behind a deeply sour aftertaste, as it was intended to. I love angst, but that story was way up there - written very stylishly to 'challenge'/upset as some fanfic is.
This version, with names changed, has been softened very slightly (as I'd hoped it would be), though given the authors original intent and the way the ending is written, I cant be sure she meant the HFN to last long. The character of Robin in this story (as his fanfic predecessor) is heartbreaking because he is so in love with the wrong person; Tyler is pathologically self-centred, arrogant, manipulative, cruel, magnetic and apparently getting his revenge on the world because he had a privileged up bringing - which at least gives some hope he may eventually remove his head from his own arse since he doesn't have, as in the original, some deep damaging past as a get out of jail free card.
In any event Tyler is, we're shown over and over again, the last person Robin should fall for and all I wanted by the end in both stories was for 'Robin' to get free (which he does manage for a little while, until Tyler chooses to reel him in again effortlessly) or Tyler to be hoist by his own petard and also suffer in love.
Im actually not sure if we're even supposed to believe at the end that Tyler is also smitten, or that he simply enjoys his absolute power over Robin, who really is enslaved and broken down by his own feelings. Again it felt to me as if the 'togetherness' ending is short and grudging, as if the author was forced against her will to compromise and give the readers some comfort. Perhaps she actually wanted to leave it as the fanfic was left - with the Robin character existing basically at the Tyler a characters beck and call as he continued to work as a hooker for fun. In the ending here Tyler says Robin wont have to share him, but was that meant to be believed by the reader? I had the feeling it was left deliberately hazy, and the suggestion is that Robin is taking a massive leap into the dark. For me, stories like this, where one MC deliberately makes the other suffer for so long, where the balance is so tilted toward one MC while the other suffers, require some kind of equalisation to be satisfying as opposed to teeth clenchingly infuriating. I don't personally think that anything close to equalisation was achieved here in the rushed, abrupt ending which again left Tyler on top.
I suspect that the author was as in love as Robin with Tyler's callous power and mystery and she was very reluctant to dilute that mystery/power by allowing the reader (or Robin) any insight into him or reason to believe in him as just a man, which, (while it may work in fanfic where the characters have automatic goodwill) is, I believe, a mistake in a story like this. Fine to make Tyler mysterious but at some point the reader deserves some kind of closure on and understanding of his character, if we're meant to be rooting for the main relationship. I feel that perhaps the things you can get away with in fanfic - the ability to not really explain motivation or show true intent - are not so acceptable in paid for m/m fic.
In a nutshell I think this is not a feel good story because the author never really wanted to change the feel-bad fanfic dynamics of the original.
So -if you like your narrator to spend most of his book being played with by the other (believably seductive) MC and never convincingly turning the tables, then this is for you. The twisted relationship and the powerful writing do live in my memory as I said, though, as must be obvious by now (!), I wish I hadn't read this or the original, because of the lasting feelings of anger and frustration they left behind (on the narrators behalf).
So three stars, because this was well written and the characters were compelling; two off because the author couldn't seem to shake off the 'lets upset them for effect' fanfic intent.
This version, with names changed, has been softened very slightly (as I'd hoped it would be), though given the authors original intent and the way the ending is written, I cant be sure she meant the HFN to last long. The character of Robin in this story (as his fanfic predecessor) is heartbreaking because he is so in love with the wrong person; Tyler is pathologically self-centred, arrogant, manipulative, cruel, magnetic and apparently getting his revenge on the world because he had a privileged up bringing - which at least gives some hope he may eventually remove his head from his own arse since he doesn't have, as in the original, some deep damaging past as a get out of jail free card.
In any event Tyler is, we're shown over and over again, the last person Robin should fall for and all I wanted by the end in both stories was for 'Robin' to get free (which he does manage for a little while, until Tyler chooses to reel him in again effortlessly) or Tyler to be hoist by his own petard and also suffer in love.
Im actually not sure if we're even supposed to believe at the end that Tyler is also smitten, or that he simply enjoys his absolute power over Robin, who really is enslaved and broken down by his own feelings. Again it felt to me as if the 'togetherness' ending is short and grudging, as if the author was forced against her will to compromise and give the readers some comfort. Perhaps she actually wanted to leave it as the fanfic was left - with the Robin character existing basically at the Tyler a characters beck and call as he continued to work as a hooker for fun. In the ending here Tyler says Robin wont have to share him, but was that meant to be believed by the reader? I had the feeling it was left deliberately hazy, and the suggestion is that Robin is taking a massive leap into the dark. For me, stories like this, where one MC deliberately makes the other suffer for so long, where the balance is so tilted toward one MC while the other suffers, require some kind of equalisation to be satisfying as opposed to teeth clenchingly infuriating. I don't personally think that anything close to equalisation was achieved here in the rushed, abrupt ending which again left Tyler on top.
I suspect that the author was as in love as Robin with Tyler's callous power and mystery and she was very reluctant to dilute that mystery/power by allowing the reader (or Robin) any insight into him or reason to believe in him as just a man, which, (while it may work in fanfic where the characters have automatic goodwill) is, I believe, a mistake in a story like this. Fine to make Tyler mysterious but at some point the reader deserves some kind of closure on and understanding of his character, if we're meant to be rooting for the main relationship. I feel that perhaps the things you can get away with in fanfic - the ability to not really explain motivation or show true intent - are not so acceptable in paid for m/m fic.
In a nutshell I think this is not a feel good story because the author never really wanted to change the feel-bad fanfic dynamics of the original.
So -if you like your narrator to spend most of his book being played with by the other (believably seductive) MC and never convincingly turning the tables, then this is for you. The twisted relationship and the powerful writing do live in my memory as I said, though, as must be obvious by now (!), I wish I hadn't read this or the original, because of the lasting feelings of anger and frustration they left behind (on the narrators behalf).
So three stars, because this was well written and the characters were compelling; two off because the author couldn't seem to shake off the 'lets upset them for effect' fanfic intent.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2013
4 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Holy Mother of Hades and all the freaking Deities together, what a sweet, hot, freaking erotic read.
Alright, after that exuberant exclamation I’m in control of myself. Hah! Seriously though, I loved this book. What is there to say about a story that has you engrossed from the first line? It was fantastic.
Robin is a self-assured man. He’s made his life from scratch and reached all the way to the top. Yes, he has no personal life, but whenever he wants something he gets it.
So he’s out on the prowl for something easy, someone to spend his night, or a couple of hours with, lacking the drama of separation and the awkwardness of the morning after.
As the music of the club beats hard and unrelenting he sees a man utterly irresistible. Gorgeous, even if he can’t make all his details in the lousy club light, the man has his immediate attention, and when he asks him if he’s willing to pay the price to get what he wants, Robin fails to see the meaning behind the phrase. He wants this stunning creature that has his blood soaring, and he wants him know. Even when the info slams home and he is being told loud and clear that Tyler is a hooker, even as his whole being convulses from shame that he’ll have to pay for sex, he can’t stop himself. But everything changes when he has the most amazing night of his life with the man and realizes that for Tyler he’s just a trick.
An exquisite story that begins like every other hooker/client story, but changes and twist right at the moment when you think you got it all figured. Brilliantly written, drenched in sensuality and slightly tinged with desperation you can almost feel excluding from Robin as his heart starts getting lost in the whirlwind left from Tyler’s antics, this story will literally get you hooked.
Repeating myself I know, but I loved it. I would have loved some more info on Tyler. I admit he’s still a bit of a charming stranger to me. I would have loved to see the reasons of why he treated Robin the way he did (hence the whacking of a heart out of this), I would have loved some more background story for both MC’s, but I understand that the short length of the book did not allow for greater elaborating.
As it is, I strongly recommend it to the fans of the genre, to all of you who search for a gripping story that is fast and erotic and will enslave your attention for the duration. It’s well worth it.
Thommie
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/
Holy Mother of Hades and all the freaking Deities together, what a sweet, hot, freaking erotic read.
Alright, after that exuberant exclamation I’m in control of myself. Hah! Seriously though, I loved this book. What is there to say about a story that has you engrossed from the first line? It was fantastic.
Robin is a self-assured man. He’s made his life from scratch and reached all the way to the top. Yes, he has no personal life, but whenever he wants something he gets it.
So he’s out on the prowl for something easy, someone to spend his night, or a couple of hours with, lacking the drama of separation and the awkwardness of the morning after.
As the music of the club beats hard and unrelenting he sees a man utterly irresistible. Gorgeous, even if he can’t make all his details in the lousy club light, the man has his immediate attention, and when he asks him if he’s willing to pay the price to get what he wants, Robin fails to see the meaning behind the phrase. He wants this stunning creature that has his blood soaring, and he wants him know. Even when the info slams home and he is being told loud and clear that Tyler is a hooker, even as his whole being convulses from shame that he’ll have to pay for sex, he can’t stop himself. But everything changes when he has the most amazing night of his life with the man and realizes that for Tyler he’s just a trick.
An exquisite story that begins like every other hooker/client story, but changes and twist right at the moment when you think you got it all figured. Brilliantly written, drenched in sensuality and slightly tinged with desperation you can almost feel excluding from Robin as his heart starts getting lost in the whirlwind left from Tyler’s antics, this story will literally get you hooked.
Repeating myself I know, but I loved it. I would have loved some more info on Tyler. I admit he’s still a bit of a charming stranger to me. I would have loved to see the reasons of why he treated Robin the way he did (hence the whacking of a heart out of this), I would have loved some more background story for both MC’s, but I understand that the short length of the book did not allow for greater elaborating.
As it is, I strongly recommend it to the fans of the genre, to all of you who search for a gripping story that is fast and erotic and will enslave your attention for the duration. It’s well worth it.
Thommie
August 20, 2013
Reviewed for Hearts On Fire Reviews - 4 hearts
The title of the book was not only appropriate because of Tyler’s chosen profession, but also for the fact that I was thoroughly hooked on this short story. I seemed to eat up the pages trying to get a feel for how the relationship would develop between the MC’s. Robin and Tyler’s chemistry was smokin’ hot, but there was also the whole “catch me if you can” vibe. Tyler tried to play indifferent to his growing attraction to Robin, but there was no denying it.
Robin may have been shocked to learn that Tyler was a prostitute, but don’t we always want what we can’t (or shouldn’t) have the most? Robin tries to walk away and forget several times – especially when it seems that Tyler goes out of his way to push Robin in the other direction, but as with most addictions, good intentions aren’t always enough. And when Robin decides to force the indifference from Tyler, the resulting mirror scene had my ereader on fire. Just – wow!
The ending brought an interesting surprise and also left me wanting just a little more solid footing for these guys. If you like warm and fuzzy with a solid HEA, this is not that kind of story. If you like hot and spicy, the thrill of the chase, and a positive HFN, then definitely check this out!
The title of the book was not only appropriate because of Tyler’s chosen profession, but also for the fact that I was thoroughly hooked on this short story. I seemed to eat up the pages trying to get a feel for how the relationship would develop between the MC’s. Robin and Tyler’s chemistry was smokin’ hot, but there was also the whole “catch me if you can” vibe. Tyler tried to play indifferent to his growing attraction to Robin, but there was no denying it.
Robin may have been shocked to learn that Tyler was a prostitute, but don’t we always want what we can’t (or shouldn’t) have the most? Robin tries to walk away and forget several times – especially when it seems that Tyler goes out of his way to push Robin in the other direction, but as with most addictions, good intentions aren’t always enough. And when Robin decides to force the indifference from Tyler, the resulting mirror scene had my ereader on fire. Just – wow!
The ending brought an interesting surprise and also left me wanting just a little more solid footing for these guys. If you like warm and fuzzy with a solid HEA, this is not that kind of story. If you like hot and spicy, the thrill of the chase, and a positive HFN, then definitely check this out!
September 13, 2013
When I first started reading this I thought it would end up being like a run of the mill 'pretty woman' story. Robin meets Tyler in a club and decides he would like a quick one night stand. Tyler goes home with him, but Robin then finds out that Tyler is a prostitute. Robin has sex with him even though he feels ashamed of paying for sex. Their time together unsettles Robin but he becomes fixated on Tyler and seeks him out again and again. He becomes 'hooked' on Tyler.
As the story progresses Robin develops feelings for Tyler, but this isn't a smooth ride to a HEA. There is a kind of darkness here with Robin coming to realise how lonely and needy he is, and Tyler recognising Robin's neediness and acting in a way which is callous towards Robin. There is a subtle and dark push and pull between the two men.
Things come to a head when Tyler is beaten badly by one of his clients and calls Robin for help. The relationship changes and the truth about Tyler's background is revealed.
This is a story about two men coming from very different places and finding love in each other, but first they have to confront themselves and come to realise that they each have burdens and needs of their own. It is a short story but a good read, kind of gritty though with a hint of darkness.
As the story progresses Robin develops feelings for Tyler, but this isn't a smooth ride to a HEA. There is a kind of darkness here with Robin coming to realise how lonely and needy he is, and Tyler recognising Robin's neediness and acting in a way which is callous towards Robin. There is a subtle and dark push and pull between the two men.
Things come to a head when Tyler is beaten badly by one of his clients and calls Robin for help. The relationship changes and the truth about Tyler's background is revealed.
This is a story about two men coming from very different places and finding love in each other, but first they have to confront themselves and come to realise that they each have burdens and needs of their own. It is a short story but a good read, kind of gritty though with a hint of darkness.
August 22, 2016
Una bella storia, non originalissima, ma i protagonisti catturano da subito. Una versione M/M del più classico "io ti salverò". Tyler si prostituisce, Robin se ne innamora da subito. Sembrerebbe sconfitto in partenza, ma ci si ostina a sperare e a correre lungo le (poche) pagine di questo romanzo breve in attesa dell'happy ending. Anche le scene di sesso, parecchie, sono ben descritte e non suscitano ilarità, cosa che avviene più spesso di quanto una lettrice desidererebbe. Consigliato.
January 2, 2014
I'm not sure how a story can be so hot and intense yet so tender and sweet at the same time. I don't read a lot of M/M but I really enjoyed Tyler and Robin's story. I loved the progression from one night stand to obsession to hate to need, back to hate to understanding. Very well written. Great job Indra Vaughn!!
August 31, 2013
Edgy and dangerous feel to this story of Robin and Tyler, a confusing hookup and an obsession that follows it. I actually really loved this short story stands out beautifully from the recent shorties I've read.
February 20, 2014
I loved this book! Rent boys are my weakness and this one was different in a very good way. Wish it was longer but it was a complete story with no plot holes.
March 21, 2014
A book that makes the reader feel as hooked as the MC. Tyler was nothing I expected or that I could pigeonhole. I liked that. I just wished it was longer.
November 25, 2015
buono ma non ottimo,alcuni difetti hanno abbassato il giudizio.
January 9, 2016
2 STELLE E MEZZA!
Recensione completa qui:
http://mmedintorni.blogspot.it/2016/0...
Recensione completa qui:
http://mmedintorni.blogspot.it/2016/0...
May 27, 2016
4.5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews