ObjectifiedRating: 4 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Paul Howell is a billionaire who is used to getting what he wants, when he wants it. He’s had lots of lovers, but he’s not a relationship kind of guy. One night, while out with his friend, Paul sees a beautiful man sitting in a booth at the bar, and it looks like he’s grading papers! That throws Paul off guard, but he really feels something, so he asks the bartender to send him a bottle of the water the man is drinking, with his compliments. After joining him for a little while, Paul discovers he really likes the man, and wants to see him again.

Arjan Kerchner is an associate chemistry teacher at the university. He is also a formal model. After he’d made some money, he stopped doing it. He was tired of being treated like a piece of meat (Objectified. Get it?). He wants to get his degree in pharmaceutical chemistry. Arjan likes Paul right off the bat and agrees to go on a date with him the next night. He doesn’t know Paul’s a billionaire, though, and he’s a bit overwhelmed.

As Paul and Arjan get to know each other, someone is out there and they’re NOT happy about Arjan being gone from his apartment so much. He believe Arjan belongs to HIM and nobody else, and he isn’t going to stop until he gets him.

The concept and plot of Objectified are simple. That’s one of the things I liked about it. I’ve been reading a lot of heavy stories lately, and I needed a nice palate cleanser. However, just because it’s not a huge book with a zillion background characters and a dozen underlying stories going on, doesn’t mean it’s just a piece of fluff. No way! Objectified is a straight up, streamlined, GOOD book. Boy meets boy, boy falls for boy, boy has a dangerous stalker, boy and boy have to work together to trust each other and work through that obstacle.

I liked Paul. Sure, he’s a billionaire who doesn’t do relationships (as so many of them often are), but when he meets Arjan, he’s ready to change, and it’s a change for the better. He becomes a sweet man who wants to actually woo another, rather than just hit him with shock and awe and money. He made me smile with all of the sweet things he wanted to do for Arjan, and when he realizes his man is in danger? Look the hell out!

I felt sorry for Arjan. All he wanted was to be left alone to persue his academic dreams. The modeling made him some money, but it left him cold and empty. He hated being followed around by the paparazzi, and even though most of his fans were good people, there were some who were obnoxious…even to the point of following him into the bathroom to get an autograph. I got the feeling Arjan really enjoyed the way Paul treated him. He’d never really been taken care of before, and Paul actually wanted to do that for him.

The big bad guy is really bad…smart, insane, and evil to the core. Stalkers will stop at nothing until they capture their prey, and this guy isn’t very different. He’s brilliant in his planning, and when he discovers Arjan (his Arjan) has a boyfriend, he goes so far off the deep end, he may as well be in the Mariana Trench. He’s frightening, and I admit to having some white knuckles as the story was nearing its crescendo.

When Paul and Arjan are together, one on one, without the body guards and constant fear, they’re wonderful. They were a perfect couple. Arjan was a bit squeamish. He didn’t want to be a kept man. After years of being other people’s fantasies, he wanted a bit of normalcy, and let’s face it, being a billionaire’s boyfriend isn’t terribly normal. They fight through it, though, and it’s very romantic and sweet. Of course, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t talk about the sex just a little bit. WHEW the sex was amazing! Forgive the pun, but there was so much chemistry between the two of them, it was palpable. They just fit together, and it was just right.

I recommend Objectified if you want a story that pulls no punches, isn’t overwhelming, but is still a great read. The characters were awesome. The action and mystery were well plotted, and the whole experience was very satisfying.

 

kenna sig