Title: Price of a Kiss
Series: No
Author: Linda Kage
Published: August 2013
Format: Ebook received for review
I don’t care what my cousin says; I am not the queen of impossible relationships. I mean, just because my last boyfriend tried to kill me and left a bit of a scar on my neck, then forced me to move across the country and legally change my name to Reese Randall to escape him, does not mean—
Oh, who am I kidding? For a freshman in college, I have to have the worst dating track record ever.
It’s no wonder love is the last thing on my mind when Mason Lowe enters my life. But the chemistry between us is like bam! Our connection defies logic. And he’s just so freaking hot. Being around him makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt before. I even like bickering with him. He could be my soul mate...except for one teeny tiny glitch.
He's a gigolo.
Boy, do I know how to pick them.
If you are a fan of New Adult, I suggest you read Price Of A Kiss by Linda Kage. There were so many facets to the story of Reese and Mason, I couldn’t put the book down. In fact, one night, I think I got 3 hours of sleep before work because I kept playing the “Just one more chapter…” game with myself.
Let’s start with the characters. This book is told completely from Reese’s point of view, but it totally worked. It kept me guessing just as much as it did Reese – especially when it came to trying to pin down how Mason actually felt about her. Reese is a very interesting college student, I didn’t love her the whole way through. Near the beginning she displayed some behavior that was horrible. I was disgusted with her. Luckily, she was able to redeem herself. In fact, she rose up and above and by the end I was loving her. Reese is an energetic and lively character, and she has a healthy dose of snark. The girl has a lot on her plate, what with looking over her shoulder constantly to see if her ex is there, and then now she’s got Mason in her life. Everything she is going through could easily put a girl on a rollercoaster of emotions, but Reese handles it all reasonably well. The girl speaks without thinking, often putting others on edge – and even me, sometimes.
Linda Kage does something that I really love – she lets the characters become friends before romance. They got to know each other, and I got to know them. So as their feelings grew into more, so did mine. Sure, there was attraction, but they felt like the circumstances were bigger, and Reese and Mason tried to be just friends. And hey, it worked for a little while. And when it came time for more to happen, Linda let it happen. She didn’t drag it out and make everyone want to scream. I was impressed.
“I love everything I see.” His eyes glazed with instability as he frantically clutched the sheets under him. I was worried I might’ve pushed him a little too far. A little dirty teasing was fine; driving a man to hormonal homicide was not.His brow glistened as if he has a fever. “But if I touch you right now, that’s it. I won’t be able to stop. I wanted to make sure you have all your playtime in before I get started.”
Mason. OMG, ladies, get ready to meet your next book boyfriend! He’s a college student, too. And he works hard to help his single mom and his handicapped sister. Mason has a heart the size of an elephant, and he’s quite handy with the snark, too. His only downfall is his sideline job – he’s a gigolo. A what? Do people even say that word anymore? The use of the word gigolo felt a bit dated to me, but then, I don’t actually know any – so maybe it is still a current word. Back to Mason! When he sees Reese he kind of gets the “stank face” thing going on, which kind of made me giggle. It appeared as if he really didn’t care for her very much at all, and I couldn’t wait to find out why!
The story – the story was fantastic. So Reese has moved to Florida to escape the radar of her psycho ex. She is staying with her family in a sweet set up – a private apartment above the garage. Her cousin, Eva, is not really my favorite person. She is a bit arrogant and even mean, but she does have a softer side on the rare occasion she shows it. So anyway, Reese has enrolled in college and she needs to make some more money. She gets a babysitting job watching a young girl named Sarah. Sarah was fun and she really brought a little something extra to the story.
Linda Kage’s writing is fantastic. Everything flowed well, and I felt like Reese was relaying the story to me over a bear claw and latte as I sat there with rapt attention. The characters were fantastic. Mason was an A+ the whole way through, while Reese had some faults – but they made her more real. And hey, there was some heat in this story! I mean, when he is a gigolo and they are so attracted to each other, you’d expect some, right? Well, let me tell you, Mason can kiss me anytime he wants.
This story was much more emotional than I ever expected it to be. Yes, there were tears shed, I admit it. Some of the things that happen are just so damn heartbreaking, I couldn’t help myself. But the whole book is not a sob-fest, so don’t get me wrong there. There is a lot of fun in there. And drama, oh boy, there is some drama. And when Reese and Mason come together, well, its nothing short of spectacular. So yep, this book is on my favorites list. It might even be on my “I must buy a print copy just so I have it” list.
Also! Come by on Monday when I feature Price of a Kiss in the Quote-Tastic meme!
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