Book Title: The Pool Boy
Author: Nikki Sloane
Series: Nashville Neighborhood, Book 2
Rating: 5⭐
Release Date: August 11th, 2020
Synopsis: Erika has just caught her husband in a compromising position with his boss and after a messy and complicated divorce, she’s finally able to move on with her life. Except, Troy wanders into that life and turns it upside down. And their hot, steamy and completely on fire affair becomes so much more than they bargained for. This age gap romance was everything that I didn’t know I wanted and that just made it so much more exciting!
Review: From the blurb itself (and let’s be honest, that cover), you know that you’re in for a seriously hot read. And every page of this book sizzles with sexual attraction, the best sex I’ve read in a long time and just two incredibly hot characters who have no qualms being honest about how much they want each other. Yes, the heat factor in this book is off the charts, but under all of that is an incredible book with so much heart and good god guys, that’s what I absolutely loved about it.
Erika is a former singer and now works for a music label in Nashville. And she’s got a really good life, except for when her husband decides that an affair makes more sense than actually spending time with his wife. But the divorce spurs her on and she takes back her life, adding new things to what already makes her happy. The one thing she’s definitely not getting a lot of is sex, but actually putting herself out there doesn’t sound as exciting at 42 than it probably did in her 20s.
And then there’s Troy. He’s a 24 year old closet musician, performing at underground bars and keeping it a secret from his mother. He’s also working for his stepfather’s company, even though the work is not satisfying and definitely a far cry from what he really wants to do. Troy is also a fitness instructor and damn good at it, considering that is what he’s worked towards becoming. But his favourite job of all time? Being Erika’s pool boy. For five years, Troy has been harbouring a not so innocent crush on Erika and he’s kept it to himself because as it just so happens, Erika is his mother’s best friend.
“If he had a flavor, it was just like his music. Sinfully rich and hot.“
What starts with an awkward situation of Troy catching Erika topless by her pool – she got her boobs done and she’s never been more confident about going topless than she is now – turns into them setting out on the hottest affair on the planet. To Erika, it’s wild, because not only is she getting incredible sex, she’s actually enjoying Troy’s company. And if that’s not all, music is filling up her senses. And when she discovers that he’s got dreams to follow his musician career, Erika steps in and does everything she can to make that happen for him.
Nikki Sloane created two such incredible characters in Erika and Troy and every interaction they share felt so natural. Sure, they crash together in seriously hot and distracting ways, but you can feel the romance and the feelings build between the two of them. It’s not just about sex after a point and when Troy realises that he’s helped Erika create music after all this time, it amplifies everything. But what Sloane really does well is the sex. It’s hot, it’s sexy, it’s romantic, it’s all encompassing and you can sometimes end a chapter feeling slightly out of breath because these characters are truly having the time of their lives.
This book might have a lot of steam and sizzling chemistry, but it’s about finding yourself. It’s about not hiding behind who you were and embracing the person that you know you are. It’s also about trusting in yourself and your capabilities and letting the world see that. Erika and Troy both have their secrets and their problems, but by leaning on each other, they find that comfort and that support they need to keep pushing forward. I also love how neither of these characters are ashamed of what they’re doing and also that they both are so confident about themselves.
“Maybe you could only reach a certain level of happiness for yourself, but . . . happiness for someone else? That was limitless. That was joy.”
As my second book by Nikki Sloane, I can guarantee that I won’t be stopping with this one.
Thanks to Nikki Sloane and Valentine PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
anna reads here 