Just Business

By: Anna Zabo

Narrated by: Iggy Toma

Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Justin White may not look like an up-and-coming corporate superstar, but his new boss knows that he has the smarts, grit, and determination to succeed. Now he just has to convince his company's CFO, Eli Ovadia. Unfortunately, Justin can't seem to keep his cool around the domineering Eli, and soon he finds himself taking their heat from the boardroom into the bedroom.

Still haunted by a tragic accident that left him with a wounded leg and broken heart, Eli has a need to be in control. But his desire for Justin makes him want to lose that control and push them both far beyond their limits. Will his need to dominate Justin drive him away, or will Eli find a way to be the man he needs for both of them?

©2015 Anna Zabo (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

"I adored this book, and I bow to Anna Zabo for writing a story that was so wonderful I didn't want it to end." ( Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews)

A must read. Excellent from beginning to end!

Loved loved loved. Started series on a whim, not can't put them down until completely finished!

Started strong, ended kinda flat, 5 star narration

This book was really good until about halfway through. I felt like it just kinda fell flat after that. Still a good read/listen though. Anything Iggy Toma reads is good, he can turn a meh story into an enjoyable one!

Sweet and agonising

The characters is coming alive and I can feel the love, anger, despair and sadness. Justin is a sweet guy afraid of not getting to be himself. Eli is one tormented soul. They find love together. And the voice Iggy Toma is oh so good. The only thing missing for me is that Justin should have got a closure to his paste. But I do recommend this book.

Absolutely amazing!

I loved this book. so much so, that I listen to it almost every week. Its just so special. Eli and Justin are so great. We also get to see more of Sam and Michael!

Narrator is also awesome!

Loved this book

The characters are Amazing easy listen. Definitely can’t wait to read more from this series and this author

beautiful just beautiful

changing people's view on how they were raised is never easy. if we dont try they will never know.

Deeply personal and surprising

As someone who has been disabled most of my life, it was pleasant to find someone like me in this fantasy.

Other reviews may have mentioned that this isn’t realistic enough in regard to disability or trauma, but it’s a book of fantasy, and personally I found it a relief not to have to read every detail of living with disability in what I consider escapist fiction. If this were a book designed for education on the topic, I’d have different things to say; however many aspects of my experience are also shown naturally in this book, not shoehorned in or overemphasized. They’re just there. Of particular note is the relationship to a mobility aid— how it can truly be an extension of the self (HOT). I’m only writing from my own experience, others may feel differently, of course.

I’d happily read an entire series about these two, though by the date published I expect they only live in the past for the author.

A note to readers who enjoy explicit scenes: while the book starts off quite burning / flirting / etc. and moves on to detailed encounters of a fantasy-style BDSM nature as well as other loving sexual content, it, well, stops.

We move from detailed scenes to a couple sentences saying they will have or have had some form of sexual contact. It’s odd, especially since the characters overcome trouble and misunderstanding (of course, this isn’t labeled a tragedy). They grow in some stunning ways and some of the language is breathtaking in describing joy, don’t get me wrong. I truly liked this book.

It just felt, well, it’s hard to say- uneven? If you have more emotional connection there’s less explicit sex? Anyhow, if you’re expecting the same explicit intensity throughout the book, be aware that after a point we’re left with some teasing and our imaginations on that particular topic.

There are many other charged issues in this book which I have not addressed, such as trauma and the various and varied effects it has. How trauma affects people over time, the question of old wrongs, accidents and what one does with forgiveness are examples.

___ also, if the disabled character drops their cane and you are a close friend, yes, please pick it up if the owner can’t and it’s in danger of being lost or tripping someone!

(Again, that’s my feeling on the matter, and as far as I’m concerned my mobility aid is an extension of myself, physically.

I don’t think it’s an offense to help retrieve a mobility aid when the owner is not in a position to do so.

I was left wondering where the character’s cane went at one point instead of being carried away into a dramatic emotional scene. Yeah, they’re that important even if you don’t have to use them every second of the day. I’m pretty sure I’d have told my romantic interest to hold that thought until I had my cane, but hey, it’s fantasy.)

There are a few glorious, poetic and mind-blowing passages in this book, but I’ve already seen them quoted in other reviews, so I’ll refrain. I will say that one passage could stand alone as prose-poetry, though. You’ll know the one if you listen to or read the book.

(There are a few typos which became peculiar spoken bumps in the word-flow, but they are rare and such things occur in other audiobooks too.)

Overall: Left me wanting more, but in a good way.



Update: more shorts which tie up some topics are available free on the author’s blog. (1/2024) Strongly recommend reading them, especially meeting Justin’s family in more depth, how Eli and Mercy relate is very much similar to dynamics I’ve experienced. Gotta say it’s so good I would have left it in the book. It covers explaining BDSM clearly without having to get into unnecessary detail AND how yes, disabled people may test each other when they meet. I may steal some of Eli’s dialogue next time I choose to explain myself politely. Other vignettes are just plain gratifying, though one left me wondering if Michael is ever going to swallow his smirk and approach Eli for those lessons he needs, or if that happened between the scenes (so to speak).

This book and the extras are sexy, funny, cripple-approved (well, by me anyhow) and show some very human sides of kink in a fictional setting.

perfection

every moment of this book was bliss and the narration only added to the joy!

This book really got me

I love Iggy Toma and now it turns out I'm a big fan of Anna Zabo as well. I found this book triggering. I also felt like the end wasn't long enough until I found the extras on Mx. Zabo's website. Otherwise I found Justin and Eli delightful and relatable and the sex 10/10. This book really got my whole heart involved laughing crying furious fearful hopeful scared I really ran the gamut.

Amazing!

I absolutely loved the story line. Some of the sex scenes were tough to get through, but if you can make it through them you'll thoroughly enjoy this!