| Title | : | Campus Call Boy (Guilty Pleasures, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 208 |
| Publication | : | Published February 1, 2020 |
Noah Jeffries has got his future figured out. Taking what he learned in business classes, he put together a high-end escort service catering to wealthy men, and it's paying dividends.
It's all about the product. Stay in shape to get the lean muscle, booty popping, manscaped body older men desire. Style his hair in a silver-blond sculpted quiff that maximizes his young appeal. He's Max Wilde, every closeted gay man's fantasy. After researching the market, building his own website with SEO optimization, and testing out price points, he's pulling in an elite clientele. Noah's on track to graduate from a top university debt-free and with money in the bank for his M.B.A.. Then he'll quit the game and focus on his big dream to lift kids like him out of poverty by creating a non-profit organization that helps young people become entrepreneurs. Legal entrepreneurs.
That's the plan, but six weeks short of finishing his junior year, two things crop up as potential problems. One is Dr. Philip Geary, Noah's highest paying client who also happens to be the provost of Noah's university. The guy's signaling he wants more of Noah's time, and it's high up in the escort rulebook: you don't take advantage of a client who's fallen in love with you. Add to that, a jealous, possessive john can be a ticking bomb of drama, especially if Philip finds out Noah's a student. But with the money he's offering, Noah could drop his other clients and meet his financial target months ahead of schedule.
Then there's Carlos Maldonado, a Mexican/Jewish social justice warrior who's after Noah for a coffee date. Carlos is passionate, mad funny, and sexy AF with his flirty smile, big, expressive brown eyes, and confident personality. Noah can't get Carlos off his mind. The kid does things to him, and while they couldn't be more different on the outside, they fit together in the weirdest way. But is it worth giving up escorting for big money to explore a relationship that might fall apart in a couple of weeks? Most college relationships do. And how's it supposed to work when Noah owns up to Carlos he's been paying for college and a nice off-campus apartment by having sex with strangers?
Jesus. Why does life have to come with painful choices?
A sweet college romance with a deadly twist, perfect for fans of gay boy love stories and the Lifetime Movie Network brand of romantic thrillers.
About Guilty Pleasures Editions: Romeo Preminger's Guilty Pleasures Editions titles are hardcore romantic suspense standalones with murder, mayhem, and steamy mm romance.
Campus Call Boy (Guilty Pleasures, #1) Reviews
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Wow. This story was a WHOLE LOT of crazy.
The book started off pretty interestingly, as I got to know Noah, what his college life was like, and how he just so happened to be a high end call boy, known as Max, to pay his way through school and avoid graduating with a mountain of student debt.
Through four or five regular clients, along with some intermittent tourist trade, Noah was able to meet his financial needs, though, so it wasn't like many other sex worker stories that I've read, where working street corners was involved.
The book included a few on-page sessions with clients (the giggling guy with the glove was freaking hilarious), but largely focused on one older regular, Philip, the provost of Noah's college, who made me nervous right from the get go.
Then Noah met and started dating Carlos, a college junior, like Noah, but also the school's head social justice warrior with a heart of gold.
I was pretty sold up until that point; however, after literally 2.5 milliseconds, i.e. one coffee meet-up and one date, the "I love you's" started flowing, which felt insanely premature, and much more high school infatuation than the development of genuine, adult feelings. Insta-love, anyone?
The majority of the drama from that point on centered around the obsessive / possessive Philip climbing behind the wheel of the Crazy Train and throwing the throttle to full steam ahead.
Throw in a and that about covers the rest of the story.
After all of the built-up suspense, I was a bit disappointed that there was no resolution to Josh's thread in the book, but I'm not sure that I even fully expected that to happen.
Overall, the angst was moderate, and the same for the steam, with the romance feeling a bit light, ending in what felt like an HFN, so I'd rate this one at around 3 stars.
I am curious to see if the next book in the series will be that of Noah's best friend, Darius, who was also a sex worker. His situation was much more dire than Noah's, so I'd like to see him also get his own HFN/HEA.
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My ARC copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair, unbiased review.
See All My Latest Reads (Review Quick-Links)
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Carlos and Noah/Max
It started a bit like a documentary. Max running around and talking to us, explaining some facts, while doing his laundry or whatever, as he was looking into the camera.
It was a good sight.
Through a friend Noah gets into the rent-boy business. Well, to be precise he serves the elite class. He has a high standard of life.
Trying to be professional pays the bills. As a college student, he’s doing well. Not getting involved with other students is working great.
When he meets Carlos, an active protest guy, something happens he’s not familiar with, his belly does strange things.
It’s a big conflict, he doesn’t want to tell Carlos about his job, so he tries to hold him on distance, easier said than done.
Carlos is sweet and honest about what he wants and Noah...? Not quite.
He’s in a split. He wants to get clean only... there is a client who doesn’t take no for an answer.
Sexy and sweet pop up at first to describe this story, also nasty and dirty.
I think this was a great story. Angst versus the best sweetness.
Two lovable characters versus a vicious one.
Overall a steady paced, sexy captivating story. -
Interesting plot and a cute romance.
The premise of this was intriguing, a male escort with high paying clients falls for a guy at his college and has to decide if he's going to continue his sex work. I did like seeing Noah be smart about his work, making good financial decisions and being pretty safe. Carlos was a cute character and I liked that he's passionate about helping people and went after what he wanted. I thought their romance was a bit rushed and they fell in love quickly. The dark storyline with Philip gave the story a good amount of drama and helped beef up the plot.
A couple times Noah used odd words or phrases, especially in relation to his body and sex. One reoccurring instance is he calls his butt his "buns" which I think I've only heard my grandma say. It made me laugh a bit and is kind of a funny bit.
The chapters were a bit long, but it wasn't too lengthy of a story. Easy read with a bit of intrigue thrown in. -
I love this author. As is typical of Preminger's novels, the premise is smutty, but the execution is all class. In this one, Noah is putting himself through college with sex work and gets into trouble with an obsessive client, who also happens to be the university provost. Meanwhile, his head is turned by hot socialist lgbtq+ campus activist Carlos, and Noah finds his utilitarian habits of compartmentalization challenged as he falls in love. The two plots are on a collision course, naturally, and Phillip (the psycho provost) is an enjoyably monstrous antagonist. The best parts of the novel for me were the sweet scenes between Noah and Carlos: their characters and relationship felt authentic and interesting. My only quibble was with the final chapter, which had to speed through a great deal of personal and legal wrapping up once the climax of the suspense plot was spent, shunting the reunion of the leads into austere retrospective. Nonetheless, a real page-turner.
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Campus Call Boy
Romeo Preminger
Published by the author, 2019
Four stars
Noah Jeffries has a problem. As a business major at a prestigious East Coast university, Noah has supplemented his scholarships with a calculated business plan: brand himself as an escort under the name of Max Wilde, and graduate debt-free and with money in the bank for graduate school.
Problem is, Noah never expected to fall in love with Carlos, a half-Jewish social justice activist on campus.
The first of a series of “guilty pleasure” romances written under this author’s pseudonym, the title of the book had me expecting something rather less than I found. It’s interesting that I know a few authors who refer to their more openly romantic and erotic books as “smut.” Even within the world of erotic romance, there is a wide range of intent and quality. Some is really just bad: 80 percent sex and no plot or character development. Others—including this wryly-titled “Campus Call Boy”—actually offer characters you care about and a plot that’s more interesting and exciting than whatever scenes of physical intimacy there are. Not that Preminger’s bedroom descriptions are poorly done—quite the opposite—but the unexpected treat is how much fun the story itself is.
Noah is an interesting character: a poor boy blessed with beauty and brains, determined to become a business entrepreneur without a lifetime of crippling school debt (something very much on the American radar right now). Having never been in love, he compartmentalizes his life into business plans and spreadsheets, justifiably pleased with how well his finances are going—until Carlos knocks him for an emotional loop and makes him fully grasp the limits of his expectations.
The author has taken care to give Noah another good friend, Darius, who in fact is the person who steered him in the direction of escorting. Darius, however, is a young, working-class Black man, supplementing his low-paying jobs with sex work to keep his grandmother out of a bad nursing home. He rightly dismisses Noah’s issues as “white boy problems,” reminding the reader that romantic notions of life as an escort are more fantasy than reality.
While I didn’t get quite enough of Carlos to satisfy me, I liked him a lot, and liked him and Noah as a budding young couple making their way in a difficult world. Preminger’s book is thoughtful and romantic, and nothing like what I would call smut. It’s far better than that, and well worth my time. -
This is the first story I’ve read by this author but it won’t be the last. Noah Jeffries/Max Wilde is an entertaining guy all around. I felt his ego really grew until he had to look at himself and decide what he wanted. This story kept my attention. All the way through the different situations presented themselves in what I feel was the right story flow so I didn’t feel bored nor did I feel the author skipped over important parts. Noah finds himself pretty happy go lucky when things are going the way he wants but after meeting Carlos things change. When Noah is on the verge of changing things one of his clients toss in a roadblock and make so Noah has to decide which direction he will go. I think the author did a great job of using a very sexy story to make a point. I also think the whole situation from the beginning made me feel that there would be quite a few college kids that would do as Noah had if they were given the same options. Wrong doesn’t necessarily make things work out nor make them better but when compared to the options the author set up…..minimum pay hard working job as compared to….. I will be checking out more of this authors books…..I was given a free copy from Hidden Gems and this is a voluntary review.
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Campus Call Boy is the first book in the Guilty Pleasures series by Romeo Preminger. An interesting story with suspense and dangerous aspects, but with a sweet and sexy love story mixed in. I liked the characters- Noah, Darius and Carlos - and enjoyed the story.
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Title: Campus Call Boy
Author: Romeo Preminger
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: February 1, 2020
Genre(s): Contemporary
Page Count: 208
Reviewed by: Will Burley
Heat Level: 4 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Blurb:Twenty-one-year-old Noah Jeffries has a secret. He’s putting himself through college under the rent boy name Max Wilde. He doesn’t mind the sex, most of the time, and he sure doesn’t mind the money. But when he falls hard for Carlos, a hot student activist, he’s clobbered by a tough decision. Can he give up making big money on a chance for love? Will the guy even want to be with him if he knows his secret?
Meanwhile, being Max Wilde is getting complicated. A high paying client who’s the provost of Noah’s university wants Noah all for himself. There’s danger as the guy gets more obsessive, and now it could spill out and impact Carlos as well.
Max Wilde is an exceptionally erotic rent boy with the singular focus of seducing his more affluent clientele. Noah Jeffries is a bookish college student with ambitions of making the world a fairer place by employing his intellect and theories on working capitalism from the ground up.
These sound like two different people, but they are one in the same – and the wall that has so meticulously been constructed begins to crumble – with what may be disastrous consequences…
While I genuinely love the chemistry between Noah and Carlos and even Max and “the Provost,” the pacing really threw me for a loop. It felt like the author was hurried in an attempt to get to the next part of the story at various times. It took away from developing a really great narrative around both sets of relationships.
I wanted to learn more about Carlos and felt that his character was not as developed as he could have been. My solace is that there could be more character development in follow-up books in a series.
The end of this story left me wanting to know more about what happens next. Either it was well-written or I just fell in love with these characters – or both! I don’t think you will be disappointed overall.
I recommend this book and author since I believe the series will be well worth it!
What did you think about this story? Are you interested in learning more about the characters? Did the narrative "hit the spot" for you?
note: I received an advanced copy of this book from the author for an honest review. -
As with any independently published book, there are some small typos, grammar, and wrong words used here and there. It’s nothing too jarring, and only jostled me from the story a few times.
The writing is very simple and easy to speed read through. As other reviews have mentioned, the story starts off strong and original. But I too was a bit thrown when the main character is thinking of upending his life for a guy he just met. In the span of the book, he dates the guy for 2 weeks total. And he is willing to give up his career of 3 years for him. It took him 3 years to go from prostitution gigs that were $60 to high end rollers who pay over a grand for each encounter. To me, that’s a bit much. Who throws their career away for someone they know for two weeks? The author could have easily fixed this, by skipping some time, and have them date for months, rather than days. The same goals for the main plot would have been accomplished, and the offense that the boyfriend feels when he finds out about the prostitution would have also been more realistic. He’s in tears about it, and come on, two weeks in? There’s no exclusive commitments made that early on, he shouldn’t be that in love or that upset.
The ending of the book felt rushed. Again, if the timeline had been spread out longer, it would have been better. The heated drama and risk of life, just gets summed up in a few paragraphs, and the story ends with a nice monologue of “this is what happened” that puts a nice bow on things.
I know all that may have made it sound like a horrible book, but honestly it was a great read. Once the obsessive boyfriend part kicked in, the book was one I couldn’t put down. I was often screaming at the character not to do things.
So if you are looking for a fun read with some drama and heated sex, this is a good one to pick up. -
Far fetched
I truly wanted to like this story but they were too many holes within it. Darius is choosing to trick for $40-$20 instead of go in and work a 9-to-5 or maybe two 9-to-5 jobs. Then how could Noah even be a business student and not even think like a business person. He talks all this big game about business this business dad but he should’ve been in the major that Carlos was in.
When he received a text from Philip that was Philip incriminating his own self but yet he felt obligated and confuse ;any true business student will know exactly what to do and how to flip that around …so I’m sorry but no ! business was my minor in school and I know right there this author did not do their homework be this fictional or not make it make sense!
He’s part of the faculty almost like a VP and he is sending out your a picture of your transcript and your information and wants to talk to you and he was giving you sexual favors, Noah can use that as an advantage as he was being blackmailed to sleep with this old fart and forced to do things he didn’t want to and furthermore Noah couldn’t have been blackmail because their relationship was only about three months he could’ve showed his transcripts where he was doing good with that. So Philip had nothing on him and this is where my thoughts of the story really turn because it made me think like first Darius story made no sense and then now Phillips on makes no sense so therefore I could not even give this more than one star and really if I could I wouldn’t give it no stars. -
College student Noah has a very big secret. He's a call boy for some high-end clients and goes by the name Max. Things are going well when he meets Carlos, a junior in college, but he refrains from telling Carlos about his line of work. However, after a client turns a little psycho, way too much insta-love with Carlos, and a few more hurdles thrown into the mix, the story turns too fast too soon. I don't feel as if the relationship between Carlos and Noah gets developed enough. I also wanted more about Noah's friend, Darius, who works the same job as Noah. I'm hoping the next book is about him.
Overall, Campus Call Boy is an okay read with a little intrigue mixed in. There are some editing issues with grammar, including typos, wrong words used, etc., but I will read more from this author. -
This wasn't your typical boy meets boy and falls in love romance. It has twists and turns action suspense and of course love. You have to read it!
Noah has extremely high ambitions like wanting to finish college debt free and with enough money saved up to attend grad school. Noah is so focused that he has a financial spreadsheet and a budget. Noah has a secret life... During the day he is a "struggling" college student and once the sun goes down he is Max Wilde escort for high end clients. One night while doing laundry on campus everything changes. This is the night Noah meets Carlos. Carlos make Noah rethink his whole plan. Is there a place in his lifestyle for a relationship and how will Carlos react once he finds out the truth? -
Noah Jeffries, a 21 year old college student has stumbled on the perfect way to finance his college education and his Masters. Using a website introduced to him by a friend, Darius, Max has a steady list of well to do men including the Philip Geary, the campuus registrar who pays him $4,000 a week for each Saturday night sleepover. The plan falls apart when he meets sexy student activist, Carlos. Guilt overcomes him as their relationship deepens and he closes the website and tries to cancel the arrangement with Philip Geary. Philip shows his true colours and tries to force Noah to continue the arrangement. A well written story that I could not put down.
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This one has an interesting plot, refreshingly. It grew to be even exciting. Those two main characters are very different from each other, I enjoyed how they were described so well - one very controlled and the other contrary.
Mielenkiintoinen erilainen juoni tällä kirjalla, mikä oli virkistävää. Loppupuoli kehittyi varsin jännittäväksi. Päähahmot oli värikkäästi kuvailtu eriluonteisiksi henkilöiksi, mielestäni aivan taidokkaasti. -
4.5 stars
This is the first book I have read from this author and I was hooked from page 1. The story is told from Noah's POV - his character has depth and every emotion can be felt with each page you turn. There is lots of drama with ups and downs plus well written intimate scenes. I'm definitely reading another book t this author. Would highly recommend. -
DNF
The story dragged sooo badly I just couldn’t make myself to finish it. The MC is flat like a cardboard cutout. I scrolled through the story to see if it gets better. Even though the actions seems to pick up, there is no character growth whatsoever. -
Well....I didn't expect that.
Thought this was going to be a light and fluffy story, but NO! It has a dark twist.
Really good but obvious editorial errors, proof errors. Not really a problem, but hey, they jar.
Overall, well worth a purchase and read. -
This story could easily have taken place at my local campus. It drew me in and kept me reading nonstop. It's both authentic and heartwarming.
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#bookreview Campus Call Boy by Romeo Preminger
This book was okay. It was a kindle freebie that peaked my interest one day and it was only 200 pages long. I figured I’d give it a shot.
It’s an easy read, it keeps you interested. What I really couldn’t get on board with was Noah’s quick and sudden fall for Carlos. It just didn’t click with me. Somehow, it felt in-character for Noah to fall for this guy, but the chemistry between them just wasn’t there for me. I didn’t see the sparks that would lead to him upending his entire life for this man he basically just met. 🤷🏼♀️ That was my main issue. I kind of went into it looking for a steamy romance and instead I got a kind of creepy thriller stalker tale.
rating: ⭐️⭐️
