Beholding Beauty by Sam Singer

Title:  Beholding Beauty

Series:  N/A

Author:  Sam Singer

Genre:   Contemporary

Length:  Novella

Publisher:  DreamspinnerPress (June 27th, 2012)

Heat Level:  Low – Moderate

Heart Rating:  ♥♥♥♥4Hearts

Blurb:   Craig Ryan’s modeling dreams crashed and burned on the streets of LA. Still, a man has to eat, and the escort biz pays well, and the sex isn’t bad. Actually, Craig enjoys his new job and benefits. That is, until a client called Dee hires him. Dee is a mystery. He keeps his face hidden and prohibits touching, even when touching his mouthwatering body becomes Craig’s fantasy.

Falling for a customer was never in Craig’s plans. But wrapped inside Dee’s peculiar requirements, there’s a sense of loneliness and pain that strikes deep within Craig, awakening his own need for something more—something with a future beyond one-night stands.

Product Link:  http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3048

Reviewer:   Portia

Review:  When modeling didn’t pan out the way the wanted, Craig kinda accidentally fell into the escort business.  He doesn’t have deep-seated guilt over his job and actually enjoys it most of the time.  But, Dee isn’t like any client he’s ever had.  No other client pays him to just hang out and watch movies.

This is a really sweet take on Beauty and the Beast. I loved the fact that Craig didn’t have this horrible history and/or was turning tricks to eat.  Half the time, he was just an escort for lonely people.  But, all those people want “the pretty face”.  And he was okay with that, until Dee.  With Dee he develops a friendship that is so much more honest and based on mutual interest.  If he could, he wouldn’t even take Dee’s money, but he was too insecure as to whether Dee would still want to see him, so he maintains the status quo.

I wish that we could have seen more of Dee, both in the present and before he became beastly.  But, all in all, I really enjoyed this story.  There isn’t a lot of sex, but there is a whole bunch of sexual tension.  Nicely paced and very well written.  The ending was sweet, but I wished that we could have seen a bit more into the future.

I recommend Beholding Beauty for readers who love a modern fairy tale, sexy escorts and wounded Beast.