When Trent Copeland runs into Reed Acton at a Bangkok airport, he thinks the handsome American is too good to be true. Why would someone like Reed be interested in a quiet, introverted gay-romance writer? After all, even an obvious tourist like Trent can see that there is more to Reed’s constant unexplained appearances in his path than meets the eye. Reed Acton has one mission and one mission only—he needs to get the map that was accidentally slipped into Trent's bag and keep the mobsters who want the priceless artifact from taking deadly revenge. Trent Copeland is a delicious and damned near irresistible diversion, but Reed can’t afford distractions right now, especially if he wants to keep Trent safe. From Bangkok's seediest back alleys to the sacred north, the two men will fight to stay one step ahead of the bad guys and learn that the only treasure worth finding is... each other. This second edition contains over 4000 words of added material not contained in the previously released ebook. EBook version previously released by Ravenous Romance under the title Thief of Hearts: Tempted in Thailand.
Rarer Than Rubies
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Review
" an interesting mix between a good old-fashioned action adventure, an exciting hunt for hidden treasure in an exotic location and a modern-day romance. " -- 4 stars, Queer Magazine Online
"...This isn't just a romantic book - it's also one that teaches a lot about another culture in a way that doesn't feel forced. I loved the setting, the characters intrigued me, ... I find myself yearning for a sequel." -- 4 hearts, MM Good Book Reviews
"...This isn't just a romantic book - it's also one that teaches a lot about another culture in a way that doesn't feel forced. I loved the setting, the characters intrigued me, ... I find myself yearning for a sequel." -- 4 hearts, MM Good Book Reviews
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More About the Author
EM Lynley works in the wine industry, though she'd rather be writing hot, sexy man-on-man action. She spent 15 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
My Review:
Adventure...that is the mainstay of this book. Trent is a romance writer that has gotten into a rut in his life after the death of his partner 2 years ago, so his best friends set him up for a surprise vacation to Thailand in search of adventure. Adventure and excitement is definitely what he finds...as well as passion, danger, suspense, and even some great life lessons. As a reader, it makes for a great book.
Reed is an American living in Thailand. A very important map accidentally ended up in Trent's backpack and Reed's life is depending on him getting it back. The fact that Trent is gorgeous and built doesn't hurt anything either.
Trent is built...6 foot plus and the muscles to go with it...all obtained from time at the gym. He's also completely addicted to his creature comforts- first class all the way and he's going to smell good getting there. I loved how addicted he was to his smelly lotions and potions....such a great little quirk.
On the other hand, Reed has earned his muscles the hard way through various missions. He has learned to simply be thankful for when he actually gets a shower. At first, he is completely enamored with Trent based upon Trent's looks, but as he learns how particular Trent can be about certain things, that fascination turns to derision. But when the going gets rough, Trent steps up and toughens up really quickly.
There was a great character arc for both of these characters- Trent as he becomes more adventurous and daring; Reed as he learns to rely on someone else. They make an absolutely great couple and I really enjoyed watching their romance blossom. There is just something about two guys showing their love for each other that is just so innately sexy.
But it was not just a romance story to this book. There was also a great adventure/action story line and it definitely kept the story moving at all times. There is a lot of action in this book and I never knew how things were going to go next in this exotic location of Thailand. The Ruby Buddha with the little details and history tidbits thrown in throughout the story made for a fabulous story line. I feel like I learned a lot in this book about the region and religion, but it was all added to the story so seamlessly- it flowed in perfectly. Really a well-written book all the way around. It makes you yearn for a bit of adventure travel (without all the life/death situations.)
Adventure...that is the mainstay of this book. Trent is a romance writer that has gotten into a rut in his life after the death of his partner 2 years ago, so his best friends set him up for a surprise vacation to Thailand in search of adventure. Adventure and excitement is definitely what he finds...as well as passion, danger, suspense, and even some great life lessons. As a reader, it makes for a great book.
Reed is an American living in Thailand. A very important map accidentally ended up in Trent's backpack and Reed's life is depending on him getting it back. The fact that Trent is gorgeous and built doesn't hurt anything either.
Trent is built...6 foot plus and the muscles to go with it...all obtained from time at the gym. He's also completely addicted to his creature comforts- first class all the way and he's going to smell good getting there. I loved how addicted he was to his smelly lotions and potions....such a great little quirk.
On the other hand, Reed has earned his muscles the hard way through various missions. He has learned to simply be thankful for when he actually gets a shower. At first, he is completely enamored with Trent based upon Trent's looks, but as he learns how particular Trent can be about certain things, that fascination turns to derision. But when the going gets rough, Trent steps up and toughens up really quickly.
There was a great character arc for both of these characters- Trent as he becomes more adventurous and daring; Reed as he learns to rely on someone else. They make an absolutely great couple and I really enjoyed watching their romance blossom. There is just something about two guys showing their love for each other that is just so innately sexy.
But it was not just a romance story to this book. There was also a great adventure/action story line and it definitely kept the story moving at all times. There is a lot of action in this book and I never knew how things were going to go next in this exotic location of Thailand. The Ruby Buddha with the little details and history tidbits thrown in throughout the story made for a fabulous story line. I feel like I learned a lot in this book about the region and religion, but it was all added to the story so seamlessly- it flowed in perfectly. Really a well-written book all the way around. It makes you yearn for a bit of adventure travel (without all the life/death situations.)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I had SO much fun reading this book - what a wonderful and sexy treat to dispel the gray, rainy and cold weather we'd been having for a few days! Well-written read with great, likeable characters, a wonderful Asian locale and steamy sex scenes. Perfect M/M rom "at-home getaway" for a gloomy week and a fun M/M take on the "Romancing the Stone" theme.
MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW:
Trent Copeland is a successful, albeit uninspired writer of M/M romance. After his second rejection from his publisher, and following the death of his partner, he is in a rut, literally and emotionally. His well-meaning friends tell him to take a vacation to expand his horizons, and he tells them to pick the locale. He ends up on a plane to Bangkok, Thailand with low expectations (except for a comfortable, luxurious stay).
At the airport, he becomes unwittingly embroiled in a plot to set up a majorly nasty human trafficker when a treasure map of sorts is stuck into his backpack. Reed Acton, the man assigned to intercept the map, introduces himself to a very suspicious Trent (who has been told to watch out for swindlers, con-men and gigolo types) in an attempt to recover the map.
But things don't go Reed's way, in either the map-retrieval department or the satisfying-your-lust-while-you-work department. Or at least, I should say, not right away (later, they have some very hot sex in a hut in the middle of nowhere!). Soon Trent is caught up in Reed's game of cat and mouse, and the two men find they have much more in common than just sex or a map.
The sweet, floundering Trent (a big guy with the heart of gold who loves girly body washes and purple undies) and the rough and tumble Reed are a wonderful compliment to each other. But what struck me even more about this book than the steamy, satisfying romance was the wonderful backdrop of Thailand. I felt as though I were there, experiencing the country for myself while I read. Ms. Lynley does a terrific job of giving us the details that make the experience "real" without begin pedantic. I saw Thailand through naive Trent's eyes, and also through Reed's more hardened ones.
A fun, easy and entertaining read. Sequel please!
MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW:
Trent Copeland is a successful, albeit uninspired writer of M/M romance. After his second rejection from his publisher, and following the death of his partner, he is in a rut, literally and emotionally. His well-meaning friends tell him to take a vacation to expand his horizons, and he tells them to pick the locale. He ends up on a plane to Bangkok, Thailand with low expectations (except for a comfortable, luxurious stay).
At the airport, he becomes unwittingly embroiled in a plot to set up a majorly nasty human trafficker when a treasure map of sorts is stuck into his backpack. Reed Acton, the man assigned to intercept the map, introduces himself to a very suspicious Trent (who has been told to watch out for swindlers, con-men and gigolo types) in an attempt to recover the map.
But things don't go Reed's way, in either the map-retrieval department or the satisfying-your-lust-while-you-work department. Or at least, I should say, not right away (later, they have some very hot sex in a hut in the middle of nowhere!). Soon Trent is caught up in Reed's game of cat and mouse, and the two men find they have much more in common than just sex or a map.
The sweet, floundering Trent (a big guy with the heart of gold who loves girly body washes and purple undies) and the rough and tumble Reed are a wonderful compliment to each other. But what struck me even more about this book than the steamy, satisfying romance was the wonderful backdrop of Thailand. I felt as though I were there, experiencing the country for myself while I read. Ms. Lynley does a terrific job of giving us the details that make the experience "real" without begin pedantic. I saw Thailand through naive Trent's eyes, and also through Reed's more hardened ones.
A fun, easy and entertaining read. Sequel please!
0 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The author deserves props for effort - clearly a great deal of thought and energy went into the structure and action in this book. And I didn't catch a single grammatical error or spelling error.
Unfortunately, overall the plot was predictable. And in the details, there were absurdities and glaring holes and failures of logic. Examples are too numerous to list, but I'll sketch one. An abandoned and stinky hut is conveniently found. It has a mattress and table & chairs in it. Our protags light a fire on the cement floor to stay warm, and the smoke magically blows out the open doorway. But wait, the mattress is apparently clean enough they can use it. There's more - now there are suddenly sheets on the mattress! And look, there's a box filled with food, including some scotch! I was just unable to suspend my disbelief any longer. At about page 80, I started skimming.
The characters ... oy. We have a man preoccupied with fruity scented body wash, lube, and condoms. Though supposedly adult, he pouts - at least once including the classic protruding lower lip. When another person refers to a colored article of clothing as "purple," this dude felt it necessary to correct and say "lilac." I've read and enjoyed characters who are gay and effeminate, but they come off as real. This is not one of those. The reciprocal sex wasn't enough change the dynamic. So we have yet another author who writes some gay men as straight girls inside who happen to have boy parts outside.
And to show how masculine the other protag was, the author employed the f-word and "damn" in his thoughts and speech. Because nothing says "manly" like cursing and vulgarity. Hey, I have no problems with cursing and vulgarity. I used the f-word three times this morning (in exasperation) during a phone call with a co-worker. But this is a trite way to define a character as masculine.
Unfortunately, overall the plot was predictable. And in the details, there were absurdities and glaring holes and failures of logic. Examples are too numerous to list, but I'll sketch one. An abandoned and stinky hut is conveniently found. It has a mattress and table & chairs in it. Our protags light a fire on the cement floor to stay warm, and the smoke magically blows out the open doorway. But wait, the mattress is apparently clean enough they can use it. There's more - now there are suddenly sheets on the mattress! And look, there's a box filled with food, including some scotch! I was just unable to suspend my disbelief any longer. At about page 80, I started skimming.
The characters ... oy. We have a man preoccupied with fruity scented body wash, lube, and condoms. Though supposedly adult, he pouts - at least once including the classic protruding lower lip. When another person refers to a colored article of clothing as "purple," this dude felt it necessary to correct and say "lilac." I've read and enjoyed characters who are gay and effeminate, but they come off as real. This is not one of those. The reciprocal sex wasn't enough change the dynamic. So we have yet another author who writes some gay men as straight girls inside who happen to have boy parts outside.
And to show how masculine the other protag was, the author employed the f-word and "damn" in his thoughts and speech. Because nothing says "manly" like cursing and vulgarity. Hey, I have no problems with cursing and vulgarity. I used the f-word three times this morning (in exasperation) during a phone call with a co-worker. But this is a trite way to define a character as masculine.
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