XanderIf I had to describe Sean Bailey, it would be: a surly, temperamental pain in my ass. Never in that equation would I ever include the word boyfriend—and not just because he’s straight. The older brother of my life-long best friend, Sean is a detective for the Chicago PD, and is also known as Detective “Dick” for being…well, a surly, temperamental pain in everyone’s ass. He also happens to … ass. He also happens to be the best they have, which is why I find myself on his doorstep the night my life is threatened by an anonymous stalker.
I only wanted the name of a bodyguard; I didn’t expect for Sean to volunteer for the job. Now, not only do I have a bodyguard, I also have a fake boyfriend.
Sean
It must be so hard to be Alexander Thorne, the number one prime-time news anchor in the country, with millions of dollars and a car that costs more than my house. I mean, I’m allowed to give him a hard time about it, but when some creep decides to cross the line and go after him, they’re gonna have to answer to me.
Going undercover has never been an issue in the past, so I don’t see why there’d be a problem now. Xander and I have known each other for years, so this should be a breeze. Except suddenly my stomach’s flipping when he looks my way, and my body comes alive whenever he brushes by me. I know I’m good at my job and playing a character and all, but this is getting out of hand.
I can’t be sure that either of us are playing anymore.
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Inside Affair is book one of the Prime Time series and is not a standalone. Book two, Breaking News, will release 7.27.20, followed by the final book, Headlines, on 9.28.20.
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Inside Affair is the first book in Ella Frank’s new Prime Time Trilogy
This series focuses on secondary characters Alexander and Sean who did make an appearance in Ella’s last solo books Henri and Bailey, so I would recommend that you read those so you get some details of their backgrounds and personalities.
Xander, news anchor on Prime Time news has made a name for himself, living the best life he can. This unexpectedly takes a turn when he attracts attention that could possibly end up deadly. One man that can help Xander in this situation is Sean Bailey, aka Detective Dick lol oh how I love him.
What follows is twist and turns and a new friendship developing even though Sean and Xander have known each other for most of their lives.
I don’t know about other readers, but I was noting a list of possible suspects while reading lol this really is quite a suspenseful read too as you are playing detective, it’s great!
As always, I just love Ellas writing and the way she makes the characters talk with one another, you can really imagine them in the same room as you.
Inside affair is definitely the set up to their relationship, the sexual chemistry is developing, we are in Sean’s head while he experiences his feelings towards Xander, a man….a man he finally notices.
“Your face. Jesus, Xander…it’s, like, blinding. I never realized how fucking stunning you are.” My entire body leaned in to his, the desire radiating from him calling to me in the most primal of ways. “And now that you’ve noticed?” Sean took my chin in hand and cocked his head to the side. “Now that I’ve noticed, you’re all I see.”
We do end on a major CLIFFY so be prepared! At least it isn’t such a wait for Breaking News. I think there is a lot more to this story too, more twists and turns to come!
Ellllaaaaaaa Frrraaannnkkkk……WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MEEEE!?!? I have been waiting for this new trilogy and boy, you did not disappoint! I felt all the feels here and we are only in book one of the trilogy. Ok, now on to the book. Prime Time is Ella at her absolute best. We have met both characters in previous books so we already know a bit about them. Alexander (Zander) Thorne is the hot, young darling of prime-time news. He is put together, polished and openly gay. Detective Sean Bailey has been called Detective Dick for a reason; he is known for his grumpy, growly demeanor. He an average joe in every sense of the word. He and Zander have known each other for years so when Zander needs a bodyguard due to a stalker he reaches out to Sean for assistance. Sean decides to be Zander’s fake boyfriend as a cover. Did I mention that Sean is straight. The slow-burn chemistry between Zander (Alexander Thorne) and Sean Bailey is sizzling and feelings that neither new they had bubbled to the surface. I look forward to seeing where this story leads in the next installments of this exciting new series.
We knew that we would love Xander and Sean. Their love hate relationship is everything. But there is something there that just takes them a long time to figure out. Damn this slow burn is everything.
4.5 / 5 Stars
I will be honest, I kind of forgot who Sean was until I re-checked Henri’s book.
I absolutely loved this book! I love Sean and Xander. Their interactions, banter and how sparks fly between them.
This is the perfect book if you like bodyguards, stalkers, friends-to-lovers, opposite-attract, fake boyfriends (I still don’t see enough of those, I need more!) with a dose of action and some hot chemistry. It all blends together perfectly and leaves you wanting for more. That’s the only downside, the cliffy ending. Now, the good thing is the in a few weeks we are getting book 2. I can hardly wait!
I was so looking forward to reading more of both Sean and Xander, I love a good romance whatever trope it is as long as I can get lost in the growth of the relationship then I’m sold. I loved how the relationship didn’t feel forced the way it developed was at a believable pace. I loved it and I’m eagerly waiting the next instalment. As always I knew I was going to love this couple but again I didn’t realise how much
Well, hello there Prime Time! What a heck of a kick off of this series with Inside Affair!
From the first few pages, I was sucked into Xander and Sean’s world and refused to put down my Kindle until I read the very last word.
I loved Xander from the Confessions series, and knew whomever he opened his heart to would be someone who gave him a run for his money, and Sean certainly does that. And more.
I loved seeing these two independent, sexy, smart men transition from friends to something more. Something promising. Even through the danger and fear induced by Xander’s stalker.
And that ending. Good lord, Breaking News can’t be released soon enough!
What can I say… I detest cliffhangers & now have to wait two months, yikes. It’ll be worth the wait, I’m sure, because this brand new series was off to an awesome start. I devoured this book & ended in tears. It was a slow burn but of so good! I loved Sean & Xander. I read the first book but never read the Confession Series where their introduced, I wasn’t lost & didn’t feel like I missed anything,which was good. I do can’t wait for next book!
I have so much love for this book and completely fell for the magic the Ella wrote with Sean and Xander.
Xander is a top news anchor who has received a few threats recently and needs someone to protect him while the threats are looked into. In comes Sean. Sean and Xander have known each other since childhood and Xander used to date Sean brother!
Sean has a reputation of being grumpy and moody and they have never really seen eye to eye, he is also a straight man. So when he suggests he goes undercover as Xander’s boyfriend, Xander can’t think of anything worse but goes along with it.
I loved the back and forth between this pair and their sizzling chemistry and their verbal sparring acted as their foreplay. As they both came to realise they had feelings for each other I majorly swooned over them.
It’s slow-burn to start with but that only made me fall more and more for this couple as they tried to sort out their feelings and just as things he was starting to heat up, Ella throws in a cliffhanger that has left me anxious for the next book and I can’t wait to see what happens next. Xander and Sean are definitely my new favourite MM couple. A must-read!
ARC received for an honest review
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Overall Ratings;u2063
POV – Duel
Hero (X) –
Hero (S) –
Story –
Steam –
Chemistry –
Yes yes YESSS! Finally Detective Dick! I wanted his story so much and now that I have it, I’m more then happy because this book was so much more and better then I thought it would be! Ella Frank always did amazing job with her stories and her characters, and now Sean and Xander is the TOP!
It was so good. Loved both Sean and Xander, and their slow burn relationship was everthing I needed. One straight and one gay, spiced with stalking so Xander is in a need of a bodyguard – awww so yummy! I think I’ve read only 1 or 2 bodyguard stories, but if they are like this then sign me up for more! But at least sign me up for more Xander and Sean – becasue that cliffhanger!
It’s an open secret that Ella and Brooke always writes cliffhangers if it’s a series, but come on, this one is killing me! So slowly… Gaaaawd!!!!
The story, the character, the emotions, everything was perfect. Loved it so so much! Especially when Sean found out his feelings toward Xander aren’t so friendly as he thought lol. Awesome gay for you!
Need the next book like RIGHT NOW!
The GFY/bi-awakening storyline is one of my favorites in the m/m genre, as is the best friend’s brother trope. So how excited was I to find out Ella Frank’s newest trilogy included both?!? Very!
Inside Affair is the first book in the Prime Time trilogy, featuring Xander and Sean- two men who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried! I really enjoyed the snarkiness and back and forth between these guys- it was quite entertaining. This is a definite slow burn, considering Sean believes himself to be straight, when he volunteers to be both Xander’s bodyguard and boyfriend, of the fake variety. The attraction is unwelcome at first, on both sides, but as they really get to know each other, after having known each other for years, feelings steadily begin to grow between them. Xander and Sean both wrestled with how they felt, until they couldn’t fight it any longer.
Even as Sean and Xander are starting to fall for each other, there’s still the matter of the stalker that brought them together in the first place. Things begin to ramp up on that front as well, leading to an edge of your seat cliffhanger. Why Ella, why you gotta do us like that?!? Is it July yet?
While Inside Affair is a spin-off from Ms. Frank’s Confessions series, specifically Henri and Bailey, it can truly be read as a standalone.
This was such a great beginning to the trilogy! It was a slow burn romantic suspense opener that had all the delicious tension between the main characters while. Ella Frank lay the groundwork for what is a promising series, and with Sean and Xander, the back and forth as they bicker and banter as longtime friends connected by their relationship with Bailey, Sean’s brother and Xander’s best friend, belies their evolving feelings the more time they spend together. There are complications, not least of which is the stalker who unravels further as the object of his affections (aka Xander) flaunts his new “boyfriend” (aka Sean). While Inside Affair ends in an expected cliffhanger, the way it did left me rather gobsmacked AND desperate for the second book, which is due for release in late July. Sigh. Maybe it’s best I think of “patience” as “delayed further gratification”, as is often the case when I’ve got an Ella Frank cliffhanger on my hands. This garners five stars.
Inside Affair is book 1 in the Prime Time series by Ella Frank. These guys made my heart flutter and tense with anticipation. The back and forth between Xander and Sean was thoroughly entertaining and had me refusing to look away until the very end. This was a one sitting deal. Nothing else was acceptable. They demanded my attention and I gave them exactly that. The story was engaging, thrilling, and edgy. Never knowing what the next page was going to divulge, I was always in a constant state of awareness, trying to be ready for that big moment. There were too many to count in Inside Affair. The title of this book was perfect and the characters come to life in my mind effortlessly and blindingly absolute.
Sean is my kind of guy, brash and prickly, and always ready for any moment, and any situation. He was everything. Xander is his polar opposite. He could not have been anymore different. But against all odds, they just clicked. It took awhile, and it wasn’t without a lot of drama. Who knew two guys could create so much drama!!! But it was electric and beyond anything I ever expected. I was beside myself with excitement while awaiting the release of Inside Affair. The wait was excruciating, but when I could finally get my hands on this story, excruciating became total bliss. An all round crackin story, and one that was so brilliantly written, that it is going to be hard to find one better. 5 stars.
Inside Affair, the latest romance from Ella Frank was a slow-burn romantic suspense that had me hooked from beginning to end. This is the first book in the new Prime Time series and its a spin off from Henri/Bailey’s books. This is Xander and Sean’s story, one that was sweet and swoony, yet filled with some mystery and angst.
These two were awesome characters. I loved them individually and I loved them together. They were opposites in every way and from the start, they had this back and forth banter that had me highly entertained, yet inspite of the fact that they’ve known each other for years, I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other in a new light.
This book was low on the heat scale but it sets us up for the next book in the series. The suspense was well done and will keep you guessing. Filled with angst, drama, suspense, and an ending that will leave you stunned this novel was a great read and I would highly recommend this opposites attract story to all lovers of MM romance.
Whoa! What a delicious slow, secretive, and sensual burn these two “friends” have uncovered under unusual circumstances.
When Alexander Thorne, rich, prime-time news anchor, finds himself the object of a stalker’s affection, he reaches out to his best friend’s broody, detective brother, Sean, for the name of a bodyguard to hire. Turns out Sean is on leave from his job and willing to take on that role of undercover bodyguard.
In order to put a stop to the stalker’s ever-increasing threats, Sean needs to stay close to Xander 24/7 in an attempt to draw him out of the shadows. Although Sean is straight, the plan they agree upon to fool the public is that they become a couple. Sean moves into Xander’s lavish penthouse and the two of them slowly discover that the other isn’t so bad after all.
Very well written, as you’d expect from Ella Frank. This is book one of a trilogy so guess what? CLIFFY!! Very much looking forward to the next installment.
*4,5 stars*
A start of a new series and one that you definitely don’t want to miss out on. I really enjoyed reading this story and both characters perfectly entertwined but damn what a cliffhanger! Hope we get the second book soon ‘cuz I cannot wait to see how this story goes.
Alexander is a big news hot shot who just knows what he wants and lives every day as he wants but when a threat looms over him, he will need some protection. Never did he think that someone he has known for years but never really was close to would take it upon himself to not only protect him but also offer to be his fake boyfriend to keep him safe from harm. Sean just ended a big job and when Alexander comes to him for advice, he’ll offer him a deal he can’t resist. No matter what they try to do to lure the person out, nothing seems to work. The longer Alexander and Sean are together, there seems to be a spark that ignites a fire between them that both won’t be able to deny much longer. Will Sean be able to keep Alexander safe from harm and will they find out who’s after him?…
Inside Affair is book one of the new Prime Time series by Ella Frank! I was excited to read this because I have met these characters before and was trying to wrap my head around them together romantically. Ella does not lead us astray! She does, however, leave us with a little cliffhanger, but I didn’t really care! This book is a bit of a slow burn and I was slower to embrace them as a couple. But once the hook was set, I am on the team, and can’t wait for the next one!
Alexander(Xander), is an award winning news anchor. He loved his job until he starts receiving threatening messages. The network wants him to a have a bodyguard for protection. He figures he would contact Sean, a cop and life long friend, to see who he would recommend.
Sean has just wrapped up a long undercover case and is now set for some much needed time off. When Xander comes to him for help, who better to protect Xander but himself. He would’ve been bored anyhow. Done deal!
I liked the getting to know each other side of the book. Xander is openly gay and Sean straight. Knowing each other most of their lives, they have been like oil and water. Things are awkward and confusing as feelings, on both sides, erupt. I am anxious to find out what happens next so I need the next book now!
Inside affair is the first book in the new spinoff trilogy from Confessions. We finally get Xander’s book, Bailey’s bestfriend. And I loved Sean ‘The Dick’ when he was first introduced too. While this can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading Confessions or at the very least Henri and Bailey.
I really enjoyed this book. It takes some time to warm up to these characters but I loved Sean and Xander. Them navigating their life around the stalker and also dealing with the newly found attraction was pretty fun to read. It is is low on steam and romance but damn they are good together. And it has one of my favourite tropes:- Fake Boyfriends!!
I flew through this book and I really should have known it would end in a cliffhanger! I NEED the next book ASAP!!! Bloody cliffhangers will be the end of me!
*ARC provided by the author via Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review
This is only the 3rd book I’ve read by Ella Frank and I have to say I’m a new fan!
Xander is a prime-time news anchor and Sean is a detective with the Chicago Police Department. The two have known each other their whole lives, but they couldn’t be any more different. When Xander starts receiving threats he ends up hiring Sean to be his bodyguard. Little did either know, Sean was about to become more than that.
I loved the banter between Xander and Sean. They constantly bicker and give each other the what for and I’m here for it. But they also have some really sweet and tender moments that are unexpected happen between them. This book does end with a huge cliffhanger, so be prepared, because I most certainly was not and now I will sit and wait impatiently for book two to release! Fantastic start to this new series for Ella!
Inside Affair is the absolutely wonderful start to this Prime Time series. Once again Ella Frank knows how to combine a slow burn unexpected kind of romance with witty banter that is downright addictive. I was definitely more than pleased at how she managed to write the very straight and seemingly uptight Sean Bailey and his eye-opening realization that maybe, just maybe, his heart belongs to a man in the form of one sexy Alexander Thorne.
Theirs is not the usual in that they’ve known each other since childhood with zero chance Sean and Xander would ever be more than verbal sparring partners. But when their lives are suddenly intensely intertwined, with Detective Dick ‘playing’ bodyguard to the threatened nightly news anchorman, sparks start to fly for both Sean and Xander. And nothing stuns them more.
I loved that Frank doesn’t play games with her men, except the type with a bit of innuendo (lol) and gets to the heart of the matter without much hesitation. She manages to put both Sean and Xander in touch with some uncomfortable feelings and yet they always try their hardest to deal with them without disparaging each other. Despite any and all hesitation, it really does make perfect sense and the chemistry and incredible heat between simply could not be denied.
Told in alternating POVs it was great to be in each of their minds to know exactly how scared and surprised they were at how comfortable and truly attracted they were to the other. It made me extremely happy knowing everything they would ultimately experience would be worth every crazy bump in the road. AND I will admit that I didn’t want it to be a replay of the Temptation series and I couldn’t be more thrilled that this story follows a much different path.
With an explosive kind of cliffhanger ending, I can only imagine what lies ahead within this delicate relationship between two men who couldn’t be more opposite. But I know Frank will take good care of Xander and Sean as they presumably survive all that has been thrown at them.
Chomping at the bit for the next book, I happily give Inside Affair a solid 4 stars!!!!
Inside Affair made my heart race to no end. I enjoyed so much watching the sparks fly between Xander and Sean; opposites that definitely attract, you had known each other for years without really noticing the other. That was more bickering and lecturing, a dynamic that worked for both of us until the moment Xander was threatened and needed a bodyguard.
That moment is going to change all their vision about the other, when the close proximity brought things to another level.
I had to warm up to Xander because he felt a bit so out of the world, with his shining car, luxurious life totally contrasting with his job, a different man on the field, composed, professional and passionate. He was a bit too soft to my taste, I don’t know, probably I’ve expecting more power that came with his lifestyle, but still his sweetness moved me, being now scared of this stalker, feeling unsafe unless Sean was with him.
Sean is the opposite in so many levels and that’s why it was so interesting to see the u-turn of their relationship, and finally see past this angst fog. Because these two couldn’t have a proper conversation without ticking the other, and especially Sean making fun of Xander. As a detective he used to go undercover and protect people so when Xander asked for help, this sudden protectiveness he felt towards a man who was so far from his world upset him in the first place, but he was on mission. Being his fake boyfriend.
Trust me, things get very interesting.
The tables have turned slowly, intensely and it gave me all the butterflies.
I appreciated the main characters chemistry and how natural they came to this new affection, when they learned to know each other, building this intense slow burn, scorching hot and also this sweetness and tenderness that made me swoon tons.
It was interesting to see Xander and Sean evolving out of their comfort zone, trying to find the one who was threatening Xander and bringing their relationship to another level, and the author managed perfectly to convey their emotions, Sean for his confused feelings but totally in tune with his heart, and for the Xander who took a new place in his heart, aware of his presence, this intense pull he couldn’t get rid of even if he tried.
There was a really promising first installment. It took a long time to get the characters to be on the same page. I freaking loved it but I wish I could have more chapters to conclude their story not two other books to drive me freaking insane because cliffy!!!!
I couldn’t put it down, there was a bit of action, two charismatic heroes (I had such a crush for Sean), a strong sexual tension, sweet and tender at the same time and I so wanted to see the extent of their new building relationship. Next book please!!