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.

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Pre-order at Riptide Publishing
Release Date: October 31st

*I received an ARC of this book from Riptide Publishing via Netgalley

When this book first “appeared” on the Riptide website I immediately wanted to read it because the blurb sounded fantastic and I knew this was the perfect book for me. Then the cover was revealed and I was sold. Because just look at it! So simple and yet perfect. After reading it I can say that Hotline definitely didn’t disappoint.

I loved the premise of the book. A romance where either protag had no idea what the other one looked like. And the only thing they did know was voice? It’s original and new so I was intrigued. Now this could have been an absolute bust.. but nope, it definitely wasn’t . Ms. Anderson created two great MC’s who are drawn to each other just like the reader is drawn to them.
I really enjoyed being in Zach’s head for a while. He’s a nice guy, who after a year of college, decided that it was not for him. To earn money, so he could keep living in his apartment, he applied for the job at Murmur Inc. and surprisingly got it. He’s adorable, witty and caring. Loves his dog Ziggy and enjoys working on his car, Marilyn.

So there he is more than a year later, kind of still stuck in a job that was supposed to be a temporary solution. He’s not doing so well because he’s not invested in it until John calls for the first time. From then on things go better for him because they just hit it off. Of course it’s against the office policy to have a relationship with a client but after Zach and John accidentally run into each other they can’t resist any longer.

“Not only could he get fired for this, but Alexa could get fired too, and he was about to see John again. He didn’t have butterflies in his stomach so much as irate pterodactyls.”

The phone sex in Hotline is done really well. I don’t know why I thought it might not be, but I haven’t read a lot of books where the phone sex is really well done. And it’s such an important part of this book so it had to be convincing. But Quinn Anderson writes it in what feels like a realistic way and the reader can feel the chemistry.
I loved that slow build-up to them meeting. The UST, their bantering and flirting just drew me in and I kept turning the pages as fast as I could to find out what happens next. Would they finally meet? What would happen? I thought it might be a bit over the top or maybe even ridiculous at times, but I can honestly say the phone sex is hot and I enjoyed seeing the protags forming that unlikely relationship.
To keep the reader interested for this long without Zach and John meeting takes some serious writing skills if you don’t want it to be boring. And Ms. Anderson managed that brilliantly.

Sure, Zach is selling a fantasy at first but even then the two of them had great chemistry and it doesn’t take long for the lines to get blurred. And who thinks only the build-up to them meeting is hot, is wrong.  These two guys had me turning the pages even faster once they had met. I didn’t notice the length of the book once, if anything I wanted more! There was no dull moment in this book and it was really hard to put it down. The time just flew by.

“It almost doesn’t seem real.”
“It’s technically not. The intense attraction you’re feeling right now is a psychological response to being in perceived danger, and-” John stopped. “You know what? That’s the least sexy thing I’ve ever said.”

The only thing I didn’t like was how fast the conflict was resolved. Before that Hotline was an absolute 5 star book but I would have liked to have a bit more on that. Just something because the HEA seemed sudden. I still enjoyed this one A LOT though so I guess this would be a  4.5 or 4.75 star read.

This book features a great cast of characters and I loved Kira and Alexa. True friends who were always there for Zach. Maybe those two can get their own story? 😉

Hotline is a fantastic humorous story with great pacing and lovely characters. I’ll definitely look for more by this author. Definitely recommended!

Genre: Contemporary Orientation: Gay Pairing: M/M Publisher: Riptide Publishing Review Tag: Part of a series Hotline Quinn Anderson