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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This is the first solo book I have read about this author and I absolutely loved it. Don’t get me wrong when she cowrites it is fabulous also. Her characters are well developed and the storyline is suspenseful and intriguing. Alexander is a prime time news anchor with a little bit of a problem, his head boss has been receiving threatening emails about him and they to deduce he has a stalker and needs to hire protection. In comes Sean, a detective on leave and his best friend’s older brother, to be a bodyguard for Xander. They have known each other their whole lives and not really gotten along so when Sean suggests he wants them to play boyfriends while Sean is straight in Xander is gay so Xander doesn’t know how that’s going to work out. I absolutely freaking love the banter between Sean and Xander, it’s almost like foreplay. Sean comes to mean much more to Xander than just a bodyguard but does Sean return his feelings? I can’t wait for the second installment of this gripping series!!
Inside Affair is the first book in the Prime Time series by Ella Frank. It is a spin-off from her Confessions series but you do not need to read it to start this one. I do recommend reading it though since it’s amazing!! If you did read it then you have met Sean, Bailey’s older brother and Xander, Bailey’s best friend. This is definitely not a pair that I saw coming…
Xander has a stalker. Sean Volunteers to protect him. Two men who have known each other for most of their lives. Two men who fight whenever they are in the same room. Two men who have never had anything in common except for their love for Bailey. Two men who didn’t expect any of this.
Sean is straight. Always has been. He has known Xander for other thirty years so why does he feel a flutter every time Xander looks his way? Why does he want to taste those lips? Why does he want to impress the man who has been a pain in his ass all of his life? He is doesn’t understand it but he can’t exactly hide it either. He can’t if they have to be in the same room 24/7 until the stalker is caught.
Xander has alway known Sean as Detective Dick, as Henri (Bailey’s BF) likes to call him but now he is seeing other sides of the man. He doesn’t know what do to do about it. Sean is straight so it must just be the situation they are in. A little crush on the man protecting his life, right?
Oh man…these two! I love them. From beginning to end they are have the best banter. The made me laugh, swoon, and tear up. It’s like they are seeing each other for the first time. At the same time they know how to push the other’s buttons. It’s such a fun ride full of discovery, suspense, laughter, and respect. I can’t wait for the next book!
Quotes:
“News flash, Mr. Anchorman. I would never date someone like you either. You know, since you have a cock.”
“You put me in anything pastel and I will shoot you,” I felt better than I had in days.
“Blinding…I know I said it before but damn, Xander. You step into view and there’s nothing but you.”
4.5 Inside Affair was really good! The storyline was very interesting. It sucked me in and had me curious as to what was going to happen next. Xander and Sean are very entertaining, especially with their back and forth banter. They seem quite different at first, but as you learn more about them you see that they aren’t so different. They start to see more in each other as time goes on and thoughts and feelings start to change. I really enjoyed their relationship and seeing the slow burn. I absolutely can’t wait for the next book, especially after where this one left off! I need to know what’s gonna happen! *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*
4.5 Stars!
Inside Affair is the thrilling first installment in the Prime Time series by Ella Frank and boy, if it isn’t the perfect start for it.
Xander and Sean have known each other for most of their lives, but have never thought of the other in any other way than as friends, or rather frenemies, since they seem to clash quite a bit. After all, Sean is Bailey’s older brother and straight and Xander is Bailey’s ex and his best friend, so even if they’re thrown together quite a bit they’ve never really noticed the other. This time around, though, Xander is forced to seek Sean for a bodyguard referral, seeing as he’s been getting threats at his work as one of the country’s leading anchormen. Sean is a police detective and coincidentally just finished an undercover job and was planning on some off-time, seeing as he wouldn’t have known what to do with himself without doing something, he offers to be Xander’s bodyguard and since Xander doesn’t want anyone to know that he needs a bodyguard and the reasons why, they decide Sean will fake being his boyfriend. What could go wrong when they’re forced to be together most of the day under a high-stress situation?
I loved Sean and Xander, I loved them individually and together, I adored seeing them open their eyes to what had been in front of them and consider the possibility that it might be what they’d been searching for and I can’t wait to see what else Ella has in store for them.
This story is GFY, which is one of my favorite tropes ever, and Ella (and Try!) is one of the biggest reasons why. It’s also slow burn, but let me tell you, the UST and Xander and Sean’s explosive chemistry and their interactions more than make up for the time they take in actually making the first step. Add to that, a fantastic suspense plotline and enough twists and turns to leave me thoroughly hooked and I can tell you, waiting 2 months for the next installment is going to be hell. Highly recommendable!
*** Copy provided for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Wow! Jaw dropping good! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
I have no words for that ending… but if I had to give it two words “mind blowing”.
Xander and Sean have never been what you would call friends but they have known each other since childhood. When Xander is in need of a personal bodyguard he only know that he has to reach out to Sean for help. He never thought that Sean would take the responsibility on himself. But what is their cover becomes more, strong bonds of love are formed.
Sean has never thought of Xander as anything more that his little brothers best friend. Something about Xander stirs a longing inside him. Now he has to hold on tight so that he can protect what he now considers his.
These men are going to knock your socks off.
5 Bright Stars!
Oh Sweet Cheese and Crackers….
I’ve only recently started reading MM romances and I can’t explain why, but I love them. Maybe it’s the idea of love overcoming ALL – even what someone believed was their sexual orientation. Or maybe that in most same sex love stories – as in real life, I’m sure, couples have to deal with more adversity and prejudice than straight couples. In a same sex relationship, fears of violence from hate crimes, rejection from friends and families, and fear of job-loss are real threats. If the couple can work through all those challenges – on top of the “typical” relationship challenges – then love really does conquer all… Hmmm….Maybe I’m more romantic than I thought…
Inside Affair is the story of Xander and Sean. Xander is a famous journalist who anchors the national news for a major TV network. (I don’t know whether Ella Frank had him in mind when she wrote the character – but in my mind he looks EXACTLY like Anderson Cooper.) Sean is a rough-around -the-edges cop, who grew up with Xander – Sean’s brother Bailey and Xander are best friends.
Xander has a stalker, and his network bosses insist that he get a bodyguard until the creep can be caught. Craving some control over the situation, Xander goes to Sean to get a reference for a security firm. Sean ends up insisting that he take on the job personally. In order to ensure the stalker is caught and not just pushed underground by the presence of a bodyguard – Sean has to pretend to be Xander’s boyfriend.
They end up living together in Xander’s stunning penthouse overlooking Chicago’s city lights and Lake Michigan. Over the time they spend together the sexual attraction sparks and simmers – but they are both twisted around with doubt about whether their feelings are real – or just brought on by the intense circumstances they are living in.
“Slow burn” doesn’t even BEGIN to describe the smoldering sexual tension between the two.. And the book ends before it can REALLY light up and catch fire for real. But the anticipation of what comes next – for both the characters AND the readers – is hopefully going to make the end result even more explosive! Man alive, I can’t wait for Books 2 and 3!!
Page turner with a hold your breath ending! Ashley @ Carolina Chic’s Read
So this unlikely couple will have you turning the pages to see what happens next. Alexander Thorne is a hot rich openly gay newscaster. Who is not receiving threats on his life? Sean Bailey is a detective and big brother to Alexander best friend, and Alexander’s new body guard. These two are total opposites and you know what they say about opposites. These two are H-O-T! Will the person making the threats have an impact on these two? The cliff hanger in this one will have your dropping your draw! I cannot wait for the conclusion.
Breaking News!! Ella Frank has done it again! Inside Affair is a page turning read with the perfect amount of chemistry, angst, suspense, and snark.
I love the snarky humor that Ella injects into her characters and Inside Affair has the perfect amount that balances out the angsty emotions between Sean and Xander. This is not a typical story between two men; Sean and Xander have known each other most of their lives and while Xander is an out gay man, Sean is straight. Neither have ever had any feelings towards the other or really given the other much thought, so the chemistry that bubbles up between the both of them is something new and foreign and completely organic. Their attraction, which they both ignore and try to fight, grows between them as Sean works on catching Xander’s stalker.
Xander is a news anchor with a stalker who has taken things to a dangerous level. He now needs a bodyguard, which isn’t something he is looking forward to so he asks his lifelong friend for help, and Sean Bailey is the answer. Since they actually want to catch the stalker the plan is for Sean to pose as his fake boyfriend, not something Sean hasn’t done before in his undercover work as a detective, but Xander isn’t sure the feelings that begin to arise are necessarily fake and he isn’t sure how to handle that.
This is the first book in the Prime Time series that does end on a cliffhanger. Sean and Xander’s story will pick up in book two and I’m really excited to see where their relationship goes.
Inside Affair is book one in the brand new trilogy, Prime Time, by Ella Frank. I was so excited when I heard about this new series. I didn’t realize at first that there were cliffy’s involved. But now that I’ve read the first book, does it matter? NO! Because it’s that awesome! I admit it took awhile for me to get invested, the build up was slow. But when I fell, I fell hard. Because I am in love with these men!
Alexander (Xander) Thorne is a respected, award winning news anchor. He’s living his dream, doing what he loves. But then his world is turned upside down when he starts receiving threats. Someone is fixated on him and his network is demanding he get a body guard. He doesn’t know who to go to except his life long friend’s older brother, a detective.
Detective Sean Bailey has been undercover for months. The case finally closed and he needs some time away from the precinct. The timing couldn’t have been better when Xander came to him looking for help. He’s known Xander most of his life. He knew he was the best man to keep his brother’s closest friend safe.
“It seemed my fate was sealed. I’d come in search of someone to guard my body, and ended up with the last person I’d ever expected.”
Xander’s sexual preference was men. He was polished, drove a fancy car, and lived in a posh penthouse. Sean was rough, grumpy, lived in a barely furnished house, and wore tshirts with holes and old jeans. He was also straight. These two men couldn’t have been more opposite. But as they spent time together, they started to notice things about each other. Sean can’t believe how he never noticed Xander’s eyes before. And how could Xander not realize that body under all those awful clothes? And Sean wasn’t nearly as grumpy as he seemed to be. There was a kind, caring man underneath all that gruffness.
“The more I watched, the more I felt this absurd desire to move closer to him. Like I was tethered to some pulley that was drawing me closer.”
As Xander and Sean navigate life while searching for Xander’s stalker, they are also trying to navigate the confusing feelings they are developing for each other. Especially Sean, who has never been attracted to a man in his life.
“My eyes locked on the man I’d known for as long as I could remember, and I felt as though I were seeing him for the very first time.”
Wow! This was just Wow! As I said earlier, the romance aspect of it builds slowly. But as Sean’s feelings deepened, I fell fast and hard. The things this man said and did. I was a goner. He is my favorite kind of hero, and hero he is. The next book, Breaking News, can’t get here fast enough. I need to see what comes next for Xander and Sean.
“You step into view and there’s nothing but you.”
I was so excited to get another spin-off series in the Temptation world. This time we got an opposite-attracts romance between Xander and Sean in Inside Affairs. This slow-building sexy story was also filled with excitement from a dangerous and suspenseful stalker threat. I was totally immersed into the story and it ended before I had a chance to come up for air.
Xander and Sean grew up together as Xander was best friend to Sean’s younger brother Bailey; however, they never had a chance to get to know each other. Sean was a blue-collared gruffy and rough detective while Xander was the uppity well put-together National News anchor. On the surface, they appeared on the opposite of the spectrum. As Xander’s dire situation forced them in close proximity, they started to really see each other. They found that they complimented each other and have more in common than they thought.
I loved the slow changes in Xander and Sean’s relationship – from mere acquaintance, to friends then to lovers. The whole confusion of being attracted to the last person you thought you would, trying to resist the longing and wondering if the other person had the same feeling as you do gave me all the warm and fuzzy feels of falling in love.
Besides their budding romance, Xander’s stalker threat became more dangerous. The stalker’s bold attempts to harm Xander brought out Sean’s protective side which settled Xander’s anxiety and made him feel safe. The book ended with a fast-paced, jaw-dropping scene and a worrisome cliffhanger. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next installment. I completely enjoyed this slow-burning MM romance and highly recommended it as an excellent start to another enticing series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance complimentary copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When I started this book I was intrigued about Xander but on the fence about Sean. He wasn’t a character I was too interested in from Henri’s books. I had one view of him that I’m so glad wasn’t correct. It’s a testament to how good Ella’s writing is that my opinion totally changed. There’s a depth to him that I didn’t see and he’s a really noble guy.
Sean has a really sensitive side under the gruff detective exterior. He’s got the same worries and insecurities as everyone else and his exceptance of these new feelings was really refreshing. He’s all in with seeing where this goes with Xander.
Xander’s super cool and living an interesting life. His high profile job has put him in danger and it’s a real wake up call for him. I was surprised he didn’t go to his best friend first but understood his reasoning. Sean was his best option in more ways than one.
I love how open they were to each other. Both had preconceived notions of the other and their history of snarky banter had stopped them seeing each others personalities in greater depth. Sean seems to keep everyone at arms length but that’s impossible with their current living situation.
Xander is very patient with Sean and I think he’d be happier if Xander lifted the brakes a little as he’s definitely ready to take things to the next level. I normally like when the romance side moves at a faster pace but it wouldn’t be authentic if they moved too fast. Ella’s got the tine just right with this first book and I’m really hoping the next one allows them to jump deeper into this new relationship.
The ending is really good and I’m not worried at all. Excellent start to this new trilogy.
OMG! This is the most unlikely couple and I freaking loved them! We met Xander and Sean in Confessions Henri and Bailey as Xander is Bailey’s best friend and ex-boyfriend, and Sean is Bailey’s brother.
Alexander Thorne is a handsome, charming, gay, and out newscaster. He is polished, popular, successful, rich, and worth a lot to the network. He is a player but very discreet. He is now receiving social media threats so his boss insists he hires private security.
Sean is Craig Bailey’s older brother. He is a work-a-holic undercover detective. He is called Detective Dick by some and seen as grumpy and prickly. He has a history of being a loner, distant, using poor coping mechanisms, and is kind of burnt out. They have known each other for years but are not particularly close. But when Xander asks him for recommendations for security, Sean jumps in to use his vacation time to be Xander’s bodyguard…and pose as his fake boyfriend.
They are complete opposites. Mr. Debonair and the Slob. Xander has always gone after men that are like him(except for Bailey and that was too comfortable). Sean is nothing like a man he would normally date. And Sean is straight and never thought of being with a man, but he is used to pretending in undercover work.
They annoy each other and push each other’s buttons and get into antagonistic banter. They have to pretend that there is somehow they could actually be a couple, but it is easier than expected. The more time they spend together, the more they actually “see” the other. Sexual tension, confusion, surprising stirrings, simmering chemistry, unlikely attraction, and viewing each other in a new light begin to change their dynamic.
The author did what I was not sure was possible and that was to make me fall totally, stupidly in love with Detective Dick. Like Sean is amazing! His whole outlook is turned upside down, but he is so open, honest, and accepting about it. Sean is actually sexy, funny, direct, protective, and caring. And now that he is really looking at Xander, he is all he can seem to see and it is a whole new world for him. And he will do anything to keep him safe and figure out who is after him.
Xander has recently just followed the one and done rule, but Sean is becoming his anchor in the storm and is finding that he wants and needs him around. They are so intense and passionate together and the fact they never saw it coming makes it even more interesting. And then there is the whole suspense and danger aspect happening around them.
This is an opposites-attract, fake-boyfriend, friends-to-more, romantic suspense story. But as with any of Ella Frank’s trilogies, it ends in a cliff and I just wanted to cry. I was not ready to stop. I want the rest right now! I am totally invested in these two and cannot freaking wait for more!