Title: Working Out West
Series: Polished P & P #3
Author: Lila Rose
Genre: MM Romance
Release Date: March 16, 2021
BLURB
College student West Millbrook is in financial dire straits since his overbearing parents refuse to support him when he moves away to study. His solution is working for the Polished P & P company which will also give him the freedom to be himself.
All he has to do is be an escort who sells his company, not his body. Easy, right?
It is until he meets Russian god Adrik Hail.
Wealthy businessman Adrik is lonely. His solution is to pay for no-strings-attached company. He doesn’t have time to waste impressing someone, nor does he want anyone to think they can weasel their way into his life. He’s a busy man who likes organization, and hiring someone from Polished means he’s the one in control.
Then adorable West walks through the door, changing everything. Now Adrik’s mind and body want more from the man, who is as sweet as he is kind. Adrik just needs to find a way of working out West.
Content Warning: Please be aware this book contains tortue and conversion therapy, it may be a trigger for some readers. proceed with caution.
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EXCERPT
“Beef stroganoff,” Mr. Hail stated as he put his own bowl down and sat.
I smiled. I didn’t let it wither when he just stared at me, giving me nothing. Instead, I said, “Thank you. It looks and smells amazing.” I picked up my fork and took a mouthful, moaning as the taste exploded in my mouth. I opened my eyes, which I hadn’t realized I’d closed, to see Mr. Hail had been watching me still. He didn’t pick up his fork until I nodded and mumbled, “It’s great.”
He grunted and started eating. Silence rent the room except for our forks and the slight sound of munching. I really didn’t do well when things got quiet. In fact, I got more nervous. I felt like I needed to speak and make things comfortable, but I was fighting myself, unsure Mr. Hail was looking for someone to start dribbling shit about nothing in general.
So, I would sit there in silence.
I could.
I had to, because he certainly wasn’t saying anything.
Silence was good.
Oh, look over there to the row of floor-to-ceiling windows that I can jump out. I just have to move the transparent curtains. Why do people get see-through curtains? Wait, it looks like there’s a balcony. At least I won’t have to climb out a window.
Yep, silence was so much fun.
Well, what do we have here? There’s a dead plant sitting in a pot at the end of the row of windows. Maybe the silence killed it.
~ * ~ Jo‘s Review ~ * ~
Wreck Me Forever
4 Stars
This is the first in a series. I was actually the blurb of the third book that grabbed my attention, but I decided I needed to read them all. I’m glad I did, although, you could get away without doing so.
I’m not a great MC fan, even though I know a lot of people like the edgier side they can have. I find the line between the law breaking, roles of women, the strong Alpha males, family/community, and fighting for the underdog, is not always handled well. Overall, however, I’d say the author balances it nicely in this book.
Lucas is the brother of Zion (or Saint, as his club brothers call him). He’s studying to be a doctor and is quiet, preferring not to get involved with the club—like his brother. He’s moved in with him because his parents have moved to Australia. He’s also gay, which he hasn’t opened up about; he’s a little fearful of possible reactions. Into his life walks Wreck, Saints club brother, and the attraction is immediate for Lucas. But Wreck is straight, so Lucas tries to control his reactions and perhaps find love elsewhere. Of course this is a dual POV, so we know Wreck is not as straight as he thought he was. It takes a little time, and a few wrong steps, but he finally faces up to the attraction and starts to act on it. So we follow their relationship as it develops; it’s funny and hot. Wreck is one possessive boyfriend, which makes it even hotter. It’s almost a laugh-out-loud moment, when he goes all caveman after seeing Lucas with other men. They’ve a few issues to overcome, but it’s a low angst, lighthearted (which is strange to say because there is violence) HEA.
I enjoyed it more than I was expecting and would definitely recommend, especially if MC is your thing.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***
Never a Saint
3.75 Stars
This is the second book in a series, and—as I said in my review of book one—it was actually the blurb of the third book that grabbed my attention, but I decided I needed to read them all. I’m glad I did, although you could get away without doing so.
Kylo and Saint were both in book 1; we got to know them a little, but their characters really come out in this story. Kylo’s parents are drug addicts, and, while he has a home with two of the club members, he is determined to build up savings to be independent. As a lover of men and women, he’s decided to work as an escort at Polished P & P. Kylo has grown in confidence, and is happy to tell Saint he’s got the skills to keep the clients happy. When Kyle meets Saint’s challenge, Saint is left in shock, but it opens up all sorts of thoughts. Soon, he’s acting on them, but he’s having fun keeping Kylo on edge—especially as it starts to turn into more.
This was my least favourite, in the entire series, despite the fact it’s the funniest and really made me laugh. Saint is just brilliantly devious and the banter with Kylo is just hilarious. It’s hot, it’s funny, and the characters are great. My issues were the plot is a little similar to book 1—I dropped a 1/4 of a star for that—and I really didn’t like Kylo’s involvement with his father’s demise…however much his father deserved it. Despite this, I’d definitely still recommend it, especially if you’re a MC fan; you’ll be expecting the edgier bits. Saint and Kylo are really funny, likeable characters who deserve and get a hot, fun story.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***
Working Out West
5 Stars
This is the third book in this series, and the reason I started reading this series. I loved the blurb, how sweet and cute West is, and how the tough, hard Russian can’t resist him. I’m so glad the book lived up to my expectations.
If you’ve read my previous reviews of the series you’ll know MC isn’t always my favourite. I sometimes struggle with the violence. Here, though, the violence fits the storyline. There are moments that are not an easy read, e.g. West’s experiences and rescue, and moments in his recovery are heartbreaking, too. However, they are integral to West and Adrik’s journey. The author does a great job in balancing the tone of the book. The start is light, sweet, and funny. West’s confusion over his feelings for Adrik, and how he reacts to situations, are perfect. Adrik is tough as nails, yet so gone over West; I couldn’t stop smiling. I wasn’t expecting what came next (there is a warning however in the blurb), but Adrik is just amazing as he stays by his man, and slowly leads West back to the light through his love, stubbornness, and devotion. Melted my heart.
I loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend it. It’s a perfect blend of sweet, sexy, and emotional. It’s equally funny and heartbreaking. Adrik and West are perfect together. Loved seeing the other characters; Wreck is his usual particularly stubborn, funny self.
This is a really great book and a ‘must read’ recommendation from me.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement.***
~ * ~ Amy‘s Review ~ * ~
Wreck Me Forever
3.5 Stars
First off, I need to tell you that I’ve already read book 2 before reading this one. It’s an important fact because I happen to like it more than I liked this book. A lot more. That said, I didn’t hate this book. It just didn’t reach the same levels of enjoyment as I did with book two.
I met Lucas and Wreck as side characters in book two, so I was looking forward to finding out how they came together. They’re likable characters, and they had chemistry—despite Wreck trying to fight it. I do like them as a character, I just didn’t find the storyline as strong as the one in book 2.
Overall, this was an easy read. It gave me their story and a few more details and the motorcycle club and their business. I will implore you to continue on in the series, as it does get better. I couldn’t put book 2 down. In fact, if you wanted to start with the second book, and come back to this one, you absolutely can do that.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Working Out West
5 Stars
I did not see this storyline coming. Book one was fairly light, book two not as light, but this one…this one packs a punch, and comes with the Russian mafia! I had been avoiding heavier books, and I’m almost glad the blurb gave nothing away. I totally would have skipped over this book, and that would’ve been a crying shame. Speaking of crying…you may shed a tear or two with this book.
There were moments where this book felt light and airy, until it didn’t. Then there were moments that were hard to read. My heart ached, my throat grew tight, and my eyes welled up. Beyond those moments, there was love, patience, strength, beauty, and perseverance. This story had a depth to it that knocked me off of my feet, then helped me stand back up, ready to read more. West was such a sweet, young man. While Adrik was hard to get a read on, it was still easy to see he liked West. Watching them both react with surprise to the chemistry between them was adorable.
This was a wonderful and heartbreaking story. I loved every minute of it. There was a part, in the middle of the book, where side characters got their own POVs, and I had mixed emotions about that. Immediately it threw me, as this was not their book, or story to tell, but then it kind of made sense. West was their best friend. There were moments their view of events was important. I imagine them to have yelled at the author to want in on the action, because this was their best friend and they weren’t going to take a back seat. It’s possible. They’re very loyal. In the end, I threw myself into the story and respected it as part of the flow.
I recommend this entire series, with the caveat that book two and three are the standouts, and book three will take home the prize. I agree with another reviewer who said Death needs his story told.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Wreck Me Forever
4.25 Stars!
This story is my first by this author, and it was sweet and funny. I will caution that this book is not a typical MC story. It’s lighter in general, but the protectiveness and potential for violence is there underneath. If you’re looking for a darker MC book, this one might not be for you.
Lucas keeps his head down studying and doing his best in school. He doesn’t have many friends, and he’s currently living with his older brother, Zion (who is also known as Saint to his MC brothers). Lucas has managed to avoid meeting Zion’s MC brothers until now and is pleasantly surprised by his acceptance by the group, but highly embarrassed by his attraction to one of them, named Wreck.
Lucas is adorable, and I loved him. I was confused by the terminology used at various times for Lucas’s progress towards a medical degree, but for the most part it wasn’t super relevant so I tried to let it go. Saint and his MC brothers were tough, but they definitely had a soft spot for Lucas. It was great watching Lucas realize that he was not only accepted by his brother’s friends, but that they would protect him as well. I wasn’t thrilled with the jerk move Wreck made, but I was happy that he straightened things out and was honest with Lucas. While they kept things secret for a while, Wreck and Lucas were honest and sincere about what their intentions were to each other. I loved it when Wreck took care of some issues that Lucas was having as school. The scene, when Saint finds out about them dating, was super funny. As opposite as they are, they really seem to fit well together and have some good chemistry.
Zion and Lucas’s parents were crazy and really funny when they appeared on page.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Never a Saint
4.25 Stars!
Where the first one was pretty light on the MC, this story was a bit more involved since both main characters were part of the MC. Up until a certain couple of scenes, it has a lot of funny moments and is pretty lighthearted. Those other scenes are more what you’d expect from a MC that is prepared to defend their lives and fellow members to the death. Both Saint and Kylo were pretty present in the first book. I think you might be able to read this one as a standalone, but I think you’d get a better feel for all the characters, especially the MC members, if you’ve read the first one.
I found Saint’s antics amusing, but I will admit, if he was doing that to me, I’d be really angry and confused, much like Kylo was for most of the story. It was a good thing we got to see both of their perspectives because I probably would have hated Saint otherwise. He is super confident and cocky. However, when he knows what he wants (and when he accepts that he wants Kylo), he is relentless in his pursuit. While I understood to a certain extent why Saint thought Kylo wouldn’t believe him if he said what he was thinking and feeling, I’m not sure that most people would have accepted his antics. That said, I loved their interactions and how they protected each other.
While I really hated what happened with Kylo’s biological parents, I was glad that Kylo had people there to help and provide what he needed to move on from it. I loved Boom and Wendy, and I have to say that the scene with Saint’s parents was a riot, even if I felt bad for the embarrassment the situation caused Kylo. This book is a good addition to this series.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Working Out West
4 Stars!
For this one, I would definitely recommend reading the other two books. West is Lucas’s good friend in the first book while in the last book, West becomes good friends with Kylo as well. There also are some overlapping scenes with the last book that helps set up this story.
West tends to hold things close to him. When he takes a job at the Polished P & P, he is extremely nervous. His first client, Adrik, is a gruff man of few words, but West is very attracted to him. Adrik has his reasons for hiring West for a few hours of time, but he never expected to find West so captivating. Both men have secrets that will help and hurt them. If you didn’t read the author’s warning, do so before you read this. West’s past comes and tries to physically destroy him. What was done to him was horrible, but I’m glad that he had people looking out for him who would not only avenge him, but help him heal as well.
I was glad to see everyone rally around West and that Adrik didn’t let West wallow. Adrik’s parents were interesting, and the scene with Adrik’s mother talking to West was as powerful as it was painful. It lanced the wound in West and allowed him to start looking for the recovery he needed.
This book was good, but definitely not as light as the first one and carried some darker moments than either book before. I enjoyed it, though. I got the sense that this might be the last book in this series, but I seriously want a book with Death in it. Hint, hint.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
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AUTHOR BIO
Lila was born in Brisbane Australia, her step-dad was in the Army which caused them to move around a lot. They finally settled in country Victoria, Australia. Being the youngest of four children she admits she was spoilt a bit. Even drove her mum crazy when she refused to eat meat at a young age.
Now, Lila lives with her husband and two children.
She started writing in 2013 and self-published the first of the Hawks MC: Ballarat Charter series- Holding Out. Since then, she has published eleven other titles, which range from erotica, humorous romance, YA and paranormal.
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