Companion Required

Going with my running themes lately, this is another book that I downloaded months and months ago and am finally getting to (go progress on those TBR piles!). Brian Lancaster's "Companion Required."

["Successful CEO Kennedy Grey thought he had his life planned out nicely—until he hired supposedly straight Kieran West as this year’s holiday companion.

For the past five years, CEO Kennedy Grey has advertised for a gay male holiday companion to join him on his single annual break. Although Kennedy claims to be neutral in his choice, he has certain non-negotiable requirements. Applicants must be between twenty-one and twenty-five, non-smoking, social drinkers, either versatile or passive, and be able to pull off the role of dutiful boyfriend in front of his clutch of gay friends. What does the candidate get out of the deal? An all-expenses-paid holiday and five grand in cash at the end, more if the candidate exceeds his expectations—a safe enough addendum, because for the past three years no one ever has.

Kieran West sits in a quiet corner of the coffee shop, trying to finish an assignment. At twenty-nine, he is single once again. By now he should have settled down. But when his girlfriend of three years gives him an ultimatum—ring or road—he chooses the road. Worst of all, he has no qualms about doing so. As for his finances? Saddled with a string of outstanding student loans, he is struggling to finish his master’s while also supporting his brother through university. Losing his work at the estate agents’ could not have come at a worse time. Then he overhears the man at a nearby table recruiting for a job that pays a cool five grand. What does he have to lose?"]

I...did not see this book coming. Yeah, I knew they'd fall in love (who fucking wouldn't see that coming?), but I totally went with character stereotypes when I imagined this book. Sure, Kennedy was a little bit of a grump, but that was mostly his businessman/gotten-his-heart-broke wall (totally not a dom, just saying). And sure, Kieran is literal sunshine, but he worked to be happy and positive and was so damn assertive when he needed to be (totally not the oh-I-didn't-realize-I-was-a-secret-sub thing I excepted). They were soooooo much more than their stereotypes.

I loved these two. They were protective over each other, even from the beginning. And they just wanted the other to be happy, even before they knew where that desire was coming from. They fell so damn hard though, when they finally excepted their feelings and let down their walls. Too bad that angst had to come into play there at the end (well, the part leading up to the eventual Happily Ever After).

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