Rating: 4.5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

Joshua Hannes is a concierge at the Vivaldi Central Park. The upscale, five-star hotel caters to the very rich, and so does Joshua. Anything a guest needs, he’ll get. He prides himself on a job well done, and he has contacts galore that allow him to fulfill every guest’s wish. When Craig Ridley asks for a companion—just to talk, not for anything else—Joshua provides the service himself.

Craig has made millions over millions in starting up tech companies and then selling them to start anew. His latest venture is about to go public, which is why he’s in New York. But he’s lonely, and Joshua is the perfect new friend. He’s engaging and funny, and Craig is smitten.

As their friendship grows, the initial attraction gets deeper. But Joshua can’t be more than that. There’s a strict no fraternizing rule between staff and guests. And what’s worse, another staff member at the hotel is making matters difficult for Joshua. When a medical crisis has Joshua running to Craig’s aid, things go off the rails. But Craig is determined to fix things for Joshua. Their friendship has grown into so much more, even though they have yet to touch. And now they have a chance to explore and really embrace their feelings.

Talk about a slow burn! I was intrigued by the blurb for this story and was excited to delve into it. This book is mostly lighthearted, with some dark gray moments that give the story weight. Singer really excels at creating chemistry between Craig and Joshua, and even thought it’s practically the end of the book before anything physical happens between them, the build up is so very worth it.

Joshua is proud of the job he does and takes extreme pride in doing it well. He’s got morals to spare and would never do anything untoward. Or anything that could be construed that way. Which is why he’s willing to walk away from Craig, even though his heart screams at him to stay. I really enjoyed his character and I loved watching him finally reach for what he wanted.

Craig is very down to earth and I loved the juxtaposition between his wealth and the doors it opens, versus his naivete. In truth, it could have been too much, but the author strikes the perfect balance with the character. He uses his money for good, mostly, and he won’t abandon his morals.

These two guys fit so perfectly together. As I said, their chemistry is off the charts, and it smolders and snakes through every page. The payoff is well worth it at the end, and their emotions are just as involved as their bodies. Which, with these two, couldn’t be any other way.

I did have a couple of small issues with the book. The first was with the secondary character of Felicity, a harpy of a woman. She is snobby and classy, but also somewhat of an antagonist. I wished there had been more depth to her as she was a caricature as she was written, and definitely didn’t work for me. My other quibble is with how fast Joshua changes his mind toward the end. Yes, there are reasons for it, but they seemed a bit flimsy. He’s suddenly agreeing to be with Craig, when he had valid reasons to say no before. I wanted to see this explored more, for me to really feel solid in it.

But despite those things, I definitely enjoyed this book. It’s well written, well paced, and a good story with great characters. If you’re looking for a feel good read that’s not too heavy, then check this one out.