Genre: Erotic Romance

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Word Count: 17,530 words

 

After getting conned and dumped by a traveling guitar player, Lucy is struggling to make ends meet and things only get worse when she’s laid off from her waitressing job. Her last customer– a sexy, mysterious man wearing clothes that cost five times her annual salary– leaves her a $1,000 tip out of sympathy, but that money will only last so long.

But when she gets offered a job as a housekeeper at a brothel, things are looking up. Cleaning up after sex isn’t her usual line of work, but at least she won’t have to struggle financially anymore. When she literally runs into her heavy tipper at the brothel, however, things might get a little more complicated, especially when just looking at him is enough to fill her fantasies.

 

Oh my! I'm loving this book so far. I'm already half-way through the book and we have only just left England. The first few pages are full of a list of convicts and their misdemeanours. It does become a little repetitive but I think it is necessary to give the reader an idea of what kinds of petty and not-so-petty crimes carried a sentence of capital punishment. I was horrified to find out that counterfeiting coins resulted in hanging for men but burning at the steak for women! This book is full of juicy titbits of history that I have never come across in other books.

The Black Rose (The Brothel Diaries, #1)... I'll admit I'm not into erotica. Main due to the fact of the way the scenes are written. They just come off as hilarious to me with all the wanting and disrobing and even sometimes the throbbing and pulsing. (This story contain no throbbing, quivering and pulsing).
This story regulates all of that to the end of the book where the beginning is the set up and I really like that. It takes it time to set a scene rather than someone walking through a door and clothes are flying everywhere.
While this does exist in a world of vampires and such, for this story however, it wasn't a big focus of the encounter which may be good or bad depending on what you want.

"Nothing makes a relationship as steady as a jam label."

 

 

Quite the interesting title for this book.

 

The plot was kinda ridiculous with what Mr. B wanted to do, and why, but I just went with it.

 

 

Hipster Brothel did made for unique, quirky and adorkable story.

 

I found Mr. B (Bernard) and Jo charming. I do wish they could have shared each other's thoughts more instead of jumping to conclusions, and have fallings out. They worked it out in the end, and there was the cutest epilogue. 

 

That's right. You in just your socks, wrapped in a blanket, and drinking hot cocoa. I am so kinky."

 

 

I just didn't "LOVE" it. 'Hipster Brothel' is a cute story about two men...total opposites for all outward appearances. Mr. B, yes that is his name of choice. Mr. B 's relationship with his partner of several years on both a personal and professional level has recently ended so he's at a bit of a personal and professional crossroads. 

 

It's after spending an evening with his supposedly straight, best friend and secret crush...Jo, that Mr. B  and Jo decide that they're going into business together making boozie jams. This is all well and good except they need finances for said business and in a less than sober state of mind Mr. B decides that he should open a 'hipster brothel' to raise finances and expand his sexual experience by offering client's the lumbersexual experience.

 

From this admittedly questionable decision springs an avalanche of miscommunication between Mr. B and his bestie Jo. Who might also have a secret crush of his own. Jo is Asian and wears his long dark hair in a bun and his unique sense of fashion only adds to his appeal and if you ask Mr. B he's hot...seriously H-O-T! and s-t-r-a-i-g-h-t and therefore unavailable. Jo's never admitted his bisexuality to anyone because until Mr. B there's never been anyone worth doing it for.

 

One of the things that threw me off kilter was the whole Mr. A and Mr. B monikers. It just sounded weird and while I had thought it would eventually just seem like a character quirk and I'd be ok with it...this just never quite happened. I did like both Jo and Mr. B.  I just didn't click with them the way I have other characters. I did however really like that their friendship was solid and the biggest reason that they were able to work out their miscommunications and find their the relationship that they both really wanted. 

 

I liked the lack of family drama over both Mr. B and Jo's sexuality and enjoyed that Mr. A turned out to be not such a bad person at the end of it all and I developed a whole new appreciation for warm, woolly socks. But, I think my favorite part of the story though was Mr. B's living accommodations I've long been a fan of quirky and unusual homes and I admit to spending an extraordinary amount of time on my computer googling images of train cars that have been converted to homes (you should go peek at Ele's review on GR for a look at a really cute one). 

 

'Hipster Brothel' was definitely a light, cute, fun and enjoyable read and while I admittedly wasn't WOWed by it, I was certainly entertained and enjoyed the light hearted and unique quirkiness of this story.  

 

********************

An ARC of 'Hipster Brothel' was graciously provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.