A Christmas Bonus

By: EM Lynley

Narrated by: Michael Pauley

Length: 3 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

What happens when business turns to pleasure?

Alec Compton's dream job at a Wall Street investment firm is on the line if he can't close a make-or-break takeover deal by the end of the year.

The buyer is none other than world-renowned billionaire and corporate raider Brant Linton, recently named one of the hottest and most eligible gay businessmen. Electricity crackles at their first meeting, and Alec's thoughts drift far from business, despite his distaste for Brant's business practices.

When Brant takes off early to spend Christmas with his sister's family on the exclusive French Polynesian island of Taha'a, Alec has no choice but to follow if he wants to get Brant to sign on the dotted line. But Brant's sister has forbidden him from conducting business during the holidays and Alec must masquerade as Brant's boyfriend lest she find out what they're really up to.

Then business turns into pleasure, but neither Brant nor Alec know whether the other is there for the deal, or for something more personal in EM Lynley's sizzling holiday novella A Christmas Bonus.

©2010, 2014 EM Lynley (P)2015 EM Lynley

Not for me...

Eek, this book was a rough one.

I have to say, I don't think the narrator was to blame. Michael Pauley did a decent job, and though it wasn't a stand out narration or anything, it certain helped this book's rating rather than hurt it.

I can handle a lot of suspension of reality in my romance, but this book just pushed it too far. The story was too far out there for me to buy any of it, and I was rolling my eyes at the plot twists all throughout the book. The story-line was really hard for me to swallow, and the little misunderstandings and overreactions didn't help.

However, my real issue was that I didn't feel any genuine chemistry or relationship potential between these two guys. The way that they got together and then rapidly progressed to a couple in circumstances that made no sense just didn't get me behind these two as a pair. They seemed like two self-centered, privileged snobs, and I was really apathetic about them the entire story.

I think the author tried to manufacture emotion by doing a LOT of telling instead of showing, and lots of reiterating the same things over and over again. It didn't really work to make me feel anything towards these men.

Though I could finish the audiobook (it was pretty short), I didn't care for the story. Blah central, IMO.

**Copy provided in exchange for an honest review**

Nice!

This is my second Lynley audiobook, and I really like the pacing of these books. As I listened to this one, the work activities depicted were so real and believable, even though I know nothing about the financial world.

Their relationship was believable and not contrived. Their connection was real. Not a lot of smexy times, but still good. I also like that these two men remained alpha males as the relationship progressed, and none took on a bratty female role.

Nicely done! :-)