Title: Hotline
Series: Murmur, Inc.: Book One
Author: Quinn Anderson
Narrator: Nick J. Russo
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Run Time: 9 hours and 43 minutes
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: Nick J. Russo does an amazing job with a less than stellar book to work with. If this is one of your favorite authors, it may be worth it to you; otherwise, buy with some caution.
Reviewed By: Mike
Blurb: Zack never intended to become a phone sex operator, but with half a college degree and a smart mouth, his options were limited. It helps that he has a knack for thinking on his feet and a willingness to roll with whatever his clients throw at him. Sure, he gets his fair share of creeps and unconventional requests, but it pays the bills, and he’s in no danger of breaking his one rule: never fall for a client.
Until a man named “John” starts calling, and Zack finds himself interested in more than a paycheck. It’s not just that John has money, or that his rumbling baritone drives Zack wild. He’s everything Zack isn’t: educated, poised, and in total control of his life.
A twist of fate brings them face-to-face, and now that they’ve seen each other – and spent an unforgettable night together – they can’t go back to the way things were. A sex worker and a trust fund brat… It’s like Romeo and Juliet, but with less stabbing and slightly fewer dick jokes. Hopefully they can pull off a more successful ending.
Review: Zack is a phone-sex operator. He isn’t ashamed of it, but outside of a few friends, he isn’t exactly telling the world how he makes his money. Lately, Zach has had an ongoing business relationship with a caller who has been making their “talks” a daily thing.
John is a wealthy law student who has needs that don’t fit the path his parents have laid out for him. So, he takes to calling a sex line and finds Zach. Their relationship, on the phone, gets more and more steamy as John reveals more of himself and his desires to Zach. The phone sex business is set up so clients never meet phone operators. At least not until John runs into Zach at a local gay club and immediately recognizes Zach’s voice.
They try to pretend they have not met, but now that Zach has role-played one of John’s favorite fantasies, John cannot resist seeing Zach again. As they begin a clandestine affair between client and sort-of sex worker, the usual bumps in the road ensue.
Nick J. Russo does an amazing job with a less than stellar book to work with. While the sex is abundant and steamy, the Dom/sub role playing could have been better written. The plot is thin in a lot of places, and were it not for Russo’s expert voice work, this book would not have been worth the price.
The minor characters in this book make it a much better read. Zach has a great supporting cast: friends, landlords, and even his battle-axe boss all have Zach’s best interests at heart. They come vividly to life with Russo’s performance, and you believe that they will be there for Zach, no matter the stilted dialogue. Each character has their own voice and they interact so well; they help carry the story far beyond the iffy set up, giving Russo the rich canvas of voices his listeners have come to expect.
Buy this book if you love Nick J. Russo, and hear him rescue a so-so work. If this is one of your favorite authors, it may be worth it to you; otherwise, buy with some caution and listen for the expert voice work of this narrator.
You can buy Hotline here:
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