While Thomas and Charlie’s romantic moments are very hot and the closing scenes very exciting, I really couldn’t warm up much to either character. Charlie seems to go overboard with the nerd getup and his self-pitying attitude didn’t just annoy his sponsor. I found Thomas pretty inept and not quite enough of anything. The settings from the alley behind the bookstore to Charlie’s grim apartment help to set the mood for the plot. The scenes at the Avery mansion however redeem the book and the description of the interior is very vivid. Mrs. Avery is positively evil. The climax is very suspenseful and exciting; that really makes the story interesting.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Explicit

Reviewer: Maura Frankman
June 20, 2007