Sapphire Publishing, $0.99, ISBN 978-1005523237
Contemporary Romance, 2019

Kendall Shaw, our hero, has a serious problem that will surely make a Hallmark acquisition executive salivate, because it will surely break even the hardest of hearts.

Kendall Shaw was repeatedly set up by his friends and family throughout his adult life. Every wedding, every dinner party; the end result in every fucking get-together was to rid him of his bachelor status. He hated weddings. All his friends were in relationships and assumed he needed to be as well. Bridesmaids, groomsmen– you name it. Once word got out that he was bi-sexual, the crowds went wild, and it was game-on. It didn’t help that he was drop-dead gorgeous. Standing proudly at six-foot-two with piercing sapphire blue eyes, wavy honey-blonde, shoulder length hair and a body that would put the Greek Gods to shame.

So, so sad. How can anyone live with such a disability?

Secretly, Kendall longed for something more than the one night stands he’d experienced throughout college and law school. He tried dating apps, websites, friends-of-a-friend blind dates but no one sparked his interest for more than one night. It’s not that he minded being alone. Occasionally he frequented the local gay bar The Toolbox in Capital Hill for drinks and a tousle with a partner or two. Consistently, he ended those nights as one-time hook-ups, never finding himself drawn to ask for phone numbers let alone even considering calling them for a second date.

Make it stop, please. I am tearing up so bad that I can stand in the lawn and water the plants there for a few consecutive days.

Kendall’s problems pile up. His father is a wealthy and successful lawyer, the best kind of person on earth next to politicians, and Kendall works for that man. Alas, daddy puts him in charge of administrative and clerical work around the office, so our hero is bored. His latest gig is to oversee the expansion and renovation of a building the law firm is planning to move into. That’s how he meets architect Joe Butler.

Our hero is woefully unprepared for the meeting and generally gives me a good idea as to why his father keeps him from doing actual lawyer work. Still, Joe is so hot that our hero practically pops out of his pants.

They stood, shook hands and Kendall b-lined it straight to his office, slamming the door behind him.

“What the fuck was that?” he screamed aloud, grabbing a handful of his hair. Looking down at his massive erection, he gripped it through his slacks scolding, “What were you thinking?”

Uh, why is he screaming? Why is he grabbing his hair? Is he crazy, and is that also why his father doesn’t want him to do actual lawyer stuff?

All these are in the first chapter alone, so I know TL Travis’s Rules of the Game is going to be a joy indeed.

Joe, who is a senior architect and boss of his own supposedly reputable firm, arrives very late to meet Kendall and generally acts like a flirty airhead throughout.

Kendall was angry with him, and rightfully so but why the fuck was he so turned on by it? Never had Joe felt the urge to be dominated sexually. He arrived late to their meeting and made a horrible first impression, but the thought of being scolded while Kendall fucked him relentlessly, damn near had him coming in his pants. He fumbled with his folders, practically launching them across the conference room, and he was an absolute mess. What a dumbass, what would he ever see in me? He thought while buckling his seatbelt.

Thank goodness these two men are not real. Imagine Joe building my place and having it collapse on my head, and then getting Kendall as my lawyer when I want to sue.

These two proceed to have meetings in professional settings such as Kendall’s condo, and naturally, they spend more time thinking about and having sex than actually working. I sincerely hope Kendall’s daddy isn’t being billed by the hour or something, because he’s really not getting the best his money can pay for here.

This story presents a rushed happily ever after that is made even more unbelievable because the guys involved behave, talk, and think more like hormonal kids than actual supposed capable and adult professionals.

I finish this thing feeling really sorry for Kendall’s daddy, even if he’s a lawyer, because he paid all that money to put his son through law school only to get that… thing… and that thing brings the other thing over to tell everyone that he’s going to marry that other thing.

This one could have worked if the author had displayed some self-awareness as to how ridiculous these main characters are. I can’t help but to be reminded of that movie John Apple Jack while reading this one, because it also features a whiny, pampered kid working at his father’s law firm, but that movie is pretty brutal in pointing out what a twat that guy is. In the process, this actually makes the whiny protagonist more likable than he would otherwise be.

In its current form, though, the only reason this one doesn’t get one oogie is because it’s $0.99 and has the grace to end before it drives my body and mind to violently reject reality. I still won’t recommend this to readers that want a story with so-called adults that act their age, though!