The Quick Cut: A successful career woman with Asperger's hires a male escort to help her navigate and learn the finer points of sex & being in a relationship. Chaos breaks loose when they each develop real feelings for each other.
A Real Review:
People with Asperger's lead a complicated life of patterns, obsessions, and strict routines. Something that is commonly missed or not discussed in the midst of that is how complicated that can make having relationships. Living such a regimented life isn't for many and most others perceive that as stiffness. In this book, that difficulty to connect is captured elegantly with Stella.
Stella is a thirty something career oriented woman who has never done well in the personal life category. The guys she has dated left a sour taste in her mouth and at this point, she can only point to herself as the problem. With parents who continue to push for grandkids, she concocts a plan to learn how to improve and make progress by hiring an escort to show her how. Insert the sexy Michael Phan here and all of the feels.
Stella is a great representative of what the Asperger's lifestyle is like. From the clothing preferences, routines to everyday life, down to the frustration with sounds, people, & situations - Stella felt like a twin of my life in an alternate universe. Even the getting taken advantage of by guys and never feeling good during intimate situations was totally on mark (and for the record a totally COMMON scenario for Aspire). On the flip side, Michael was the perfect match for her. Patient, understanding of her quirks, pushes her just enough to get her out of her boundaries, but also flawed enough to feel like equals(ish).
I couldn't put this book down because of how well written, researched, and understood the Aspie community was in this one. It's so clear from start to finish that the author took the time to understand and that passion could be felt in the product.
I cannot recommend this book enough if you're looking for a feel good romance.
My rating: 5 out of 5