Review: Tricks by Rick R. Reed

Novelist Rick R. Reed created his career by turning out one page turner behind the next, most often from the supernatural genre, but with his latest foray he's written a romance that is as good as anything else on the market today.

Tricks tells the story of Arlis, a popular stripper in one of Chicago's most successful clubs. Arliss knows his craft and he knows how to make the most of it. Into his world of sultry sexual intonations comes Sean, a young man who's mostly the nerdy sort, quite out of place in a club like the one where Arliss dances, and who's also reeling from a recent relationship implosion.

As fate dictates, Arliss and Sean come together in an "opposites attract" love story that keeps them both satisfied and content, no matter how different their lives have been. True happiness finds them both as their romance evolves, giving the reader the feeling that love really is blind.

Enter a major porn producer who wants to make Arliss his next star. The very real possibility that the romance was too good to last envelopes them both as Arliss considers making the career jump into adult erotica. Only he doesn't know the real intent of his would be benefactor and he's fallen in love with Sean, who he doesn't want to lose but whose continued presence in his life will be in question if Arliss goes down the path he's offered.

Tricks is one of the most refreshing books from Rick R. Reed in a while. It is a tale that won't let you go until it's ready, and it won't be ready until the last word is consumed.

Recommended reading. 5 Stars.