Jessica Frost is visiting again today with the next installment in her m/m-themed paranormal Sexy Men of Mystery series, The Sex Doctor. Keep reading to get a taste of this book and my impressions of it too. You can learn about the previous books in this series by visiting a past blog post of mine here. Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win a $50 Amazon GC!
Detective Marshall Ray’s hoping the Sex Doctor, Dr. Sébastein Thibeault, can cure him of his low libido. When he meets the handsome, charismatic hunk, he’s flustered and can’t stop thinking about him. But to partake in the doctor’s unconventional therapy, he has to open his heart, which scares the hell out of Marshall.
The reason Sébastien’s therapy’s so successful is he’s an empathic vampire. He uses his sixth sense to cure people. With Marshall, who makes his heart pitter-patter, his senses tell him the cure for Marshall is him. The sexual attraction they have is something Sébastien cannot dismiss. But something’s happening to Sébastien that frightens him. He’s having blackouts and waking up with bloodstains on his clothes that aren’t his.
People are being mysteriously killed in the city, their bodies bled dry. Marshall tries to figure out who the murderer is when a witness identifies Sébastien as the killer. Marshall must secretly investigate Sébastien while trying not to let his emotions affect his job. Easier said than done when his heart’s telling him Sébastien’s his soul mate.
The reason Sébastien’s therapy’s so successful is he’s an empathic vampire. He uses his sixth sense to cure people. With Marshall, who makes his heart pitter-patter, his senses tell him the cure for Marshall is him. The sexual attraction they have is something Sébastien cannot dismiss. But something’s happening to Sébastien that frightens him. He’s having blackouts and waking up with bloodstains on his clothes that aren’t his.
People are being mysteriously killed in the city, their bodies bled dry. Marshall tries to figure out who the murderer is when a witness identifies Sébastien as the killer. Marshall must secretly investigate Sébastien while trying not to let his emotions affect his job. Easier said than done when his heart’s telling him Sébastien’s his soul mate.
EXCERPT:
The room spun, and Sébastien found focusing on his handsome blond-haired, hazel-eyed patient before him impossible. He knew he’d have this side effect if he stopped the purification process in midstream. But if he drank an orange juice, it would raise his sugar levels and lessen his vertigo.
He stood, and trying not to show his dizziness by gently bracing his weight on the love seat’s armrest, then the wall, he approached the side bar. Afraid his head would spin out of control if he turned now to gaze at Marshall, he asked blindly, “Would you care for a drink?”
“No, um, are you all right, Doctor? You are awfully pale.”
No use in lying now. The cat is out of the bag. “Yes, of course. I’m just a little dizzy is all.” He drank the cold glass of orange juice as he made his way back to his seat. Not moving his head, the whirlwind scene settled and the good-looking man before him once again came into focus.
Marshall’s gaze teetered between Sébastien and the direction of the room, which held the Purifier. “Um, you stopped the dialysis instantly. Isn’t that dangerous?”
If he confessed the truth, he would say that yes, stopping a kidney dialysis quickly like that was extremely dangerous, but he wouldn’t boldface lie, either, so he did the next best thing without compromising his values. He said a white lie. “Well, the process had ended and I was going to remove the needles when you saw me.”
“Oh, I see.” Marshall nodded, sitting back.
The dizziness was gone, but Sébastien knew that it hadn’t disappeared entirely. It lingered in the crevices of his brain, waiting to wreak havoc once more. If he turned or tilted his head in any direction, it would return with a vengeance. So sitting stiffly and unmoving, Sébastien asked, “Before I tell you about my nonconventional treatment, could you tell me why you wanted to see me?”
“Well, Sheryl told me you helped her with the sexual problems she was having with her husband and I thought…” Marshall paused, his eyes shifting from right to left.
“It makes you uncomfortable to say it, doesn’t it, Marshall?”
“Yes, Doctor, it does.”
“Well, then you don’t have to say it. I’ll speak and you only need to nod if I’m correct or not.”
Marshall nodded, wide-eyed.
“You thought I could help you with the problems you’re having with your wife.”
Marshall shook his head. “No, I’m not married.”
“Then with your girlfriend?”
He nodded. “With past girlfriends. Not just one.”
“How many? Two? Three?”
Marshall continued to shake his head, then added, “All of them.”
Sébastien sighed. “Hmm, well, unfortunately, I won’t be able to help you answer the next question. You’ll need to do so alone. If you aren’t comfortable answering, then I can’t help you any further.”
Marshall grinned. “I’m fine, Doctor. I’ll answer whatever question you want me to.”
“All right, that’s excellent.” Sébastien drummed his fingers on the right armrest. “What type of problem did you have with all your former girlfriends?”
Marshall took a deep breath and, gazing directly into Sébastien’s eyes, responded, “My libido. Or rather my lack of libido.”
Sébastien’s brow lifted, and he couldn’t help but wonder how this muscular and handsome man before him found it hard to make love to women. But if Marshall decided to continue with the therapy, he would soon find out. His lips spread into a half grin to show encouragement. “Well, the good news is treating a low libido is easier than treating an overactive one.”
Marshall shook his head. “If you’re talking Viagra or other meds like that, I tried them. They don’t work.”
“No, I wasn’t talking medication. But your remark does raise a question for me.” He paused, then asked, “Have you seen a medical doctor for your problem?”
“Yes, I did, and I went through a slew of tests, which showed I was normal. So he prescribed me Viagra and other meds like that. None of the meds helped. And I won’t mention the side effects.”
“Yes, the side effects can be many,” Sébastien said, imagining how painful it could be if his cock stayed erect for long periods of time.
“After that I figured maybe homeopathic medicine would help. That’s how I met Sheryl. But she couldn’t help me and referred me to you.”
“I see.” He took a deep breath and tried to lift the man’s spirits. “All right, then we know it isn’t a physical thing. Which makes this easier for us.”
“Easier for me? Not really, Doctor.”
Sébastien grinned. “No, of course not, Marshall. I didn’t mean what you’re going through is easy. What I meant is now that I know that this isn’t physical, the therapy will be straightforward.”
Marshall leaned in closer, and with scrutinizing eyes, he asked, “What type of therapy are we talking here, Doc?”
Sébastien placed the empty glass on the table, and when he saw the dizziness didn’t return with the movement, he thanked God and said, “I’m not sure how much Mrs. Todd told you about me or my therapy, so it’s best I tell you exactly what I tell all my patients before I begin with any treatments.” He sighed. “First off, I’m not a certified sex therapist.”
“But you are a doctor. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, I have a doctorate, but not in psychology. In biochemistry.”
Marshall frowned. “Then why do you practice sex therapy?”
“Because I found my vocation in this. I have helped many people who couldn’t find the help they needed from doctors or psychologists or psychiatrists.” He leaned forward. “So shall I continue or has this news unsettled you and now you wish to terminate any further treatments and leave?”
A hesitant “No” slipped off Marshall’s lips. His eyes though showed his indecisiveness.
Sébastien continued, “You don’t sound that sure, Marshall. Let me tell you what some of my therapy sessions entail. Maybe that will help you make up your mind.”
“All right.”
“Well, in your case, the first thing I would do is have you tell me about your childhood.”
Marshall snorted. “Oh, now you do sound like a psychiatrist or Freudian who thinks my sex problems are all based on some traumatic episode I experienced in my childhood. Or that I had sexual fantasies of my mom. Relax, Doc. I am not a pervert. Nor did I have a pervert for a dad and I certainly wasn’t beaten. My parents are two of the best parents someone would ever hope to have.”
Sébastien lifted his hand. “Ah, you’re assuming, Marshall. I never thought that, nor did I imply it. Learning about your childhood and your past will help me understand you better. That’s all.”
“Okay, sorry for jumping the gun there, Doc. So, then what else?”
“Well, then I’d ask you to tell me what you remember about your past girlfriends. How you felt about them? What type of relationships were they? Etc.”
“Okay, that I can live with. What else?”
“Well, this may make you uneasy, and this is where my therapy is unconventional…”
“Oh, no, you’re not…”
Sébastien’s brow cocked and his lips broke into a grin. “Now, don’t assume, Marshall. Please allow me to finish.” He paused, and when he saw that Marshall didn’t speak, he said, “I will have you look at pictures of the nude female and male body and ask you under different circumstances how you react to them.”
Marshall squinted, frowning, but didn’t comment. So Sébastien felt compelled to add, “I can assure you that if at any moment you feel uncomfortable or pressured in the session, we will stop and take a different route in the therapy. I believe that the road to effective treatment is a road paved by the patient, not by the therapist. In other words, I will not cure you of your problem. Instead, it will be you, yourself, who will. I am and will always be your guide only. And will never force you to do, think, say, or experience anything you don’t want to or aren’t ready for emotionally or mentally.”
He paused and stared at Marshall’s reaction. His furrowed brows straightened and his eyes lightened. Then Sébastien took a deep breath and gazed at the clock on the wall. Realizing the time, he said, “Well, Marshall, I don’t want you to answer that question now.” He stood. “What I want you to do is go home and think this over for a day. If after that time, you are still interested in having me as your therapist, you can come back at two tomorrow, and we will have our first session.”
Marshall got up and followed Sébastien to the door. “All right, Doctor.”
Sébastien lifted his finger in notation and smiled. “Also, please call me Sébastien. You are not my patient, but my client, and I’m not your doctor.”
“Okay.”
Sébastien extended his hand. “Well then, it was nice to meet you, Marshall, and if by tomorrow you decide to continue with your therapy, I’ll be delighted to help you.”
They shook hands and he opened the door, and just as Marshall stepped into the corridor, he remembered. “Oh, and by the way, I don’t know if Mrs. Todd told you or not, but I do not get paid anything until the treatment is over and your problem is fixed.”
Marshall’s eyes opened wide. “But how can you make a living like that?”
Sébastien grinned and waggled his brow. “I do. Everyone who has followed my treatment has been successful. I have a one-hundred-percent success rate. Good day, Marshall, it was nice to have met you.”
Marshall grinned back. “Yes, it was nice to have met you, too, Doc. I mean, Sébastien.”
Sébastien closed the door and couldn’t help but note how Marshall’s bright smile enhanced his looks. He was a rare beauty, indeed. His chiseled face and bright eyes and smile, along with his perfectly white teeth and thick blond hair that fell into his eyes, made him one of the best looking people he had ever seen.
Now feeling the soreness in his limbs warned Sébastien that if he didn’t continue with the purification he so abruptly interrupted before, he would go into shock. He meandered into the room and sat next to the Purifier. As he reinserted new, sterile needles into his arm, he wondered about Marshall.
What would Marshall have said if Sébastien told him that his therapy practice was only a sideline? What would he have said if he knew that Sébastien was actually a millionaire and that his discovery, which now traveled through the Purifier beside him, had made him that?
He stood, and trying not to show his dizziness by gently bracing his weight on the love seat’s armrest, then the wall, he approached the side bar. Afraid his head would spin out of control if he turned now to gaze at Marshall, he asked blindly, “Would you care for a drink?”
“No, um, are you all right, Doctor? You are awfully pale.”
No use in lying now. The cat is out of the bag. “Yes, of course. I’m just a little dizzy is all.” He drank the cold glass of orange juice as he made his way back to his seat. Not moving his head, the whirlwind scene settled and the good-looking man before him once again came into focus.
Marshall’s gaze teetered between Sébastien and the direction of the room, which held the Purifier. “Um, you stopped the dialysis instantly. Isn’t that dangerous?”
If he confessed the truth, he would say that yes, stopping a kidney dialysis quickly like that was extremely dangerous, but he wouldn’t boldface lie, either, so he did the next best thing without compromising his values. He said a white lie. “Well, the process had ended and I was going to remove the needles when you saw me.”
“Oh, I see.” Marshall nodded, sitting back.
The dizziness was gone, but Sébastien knew that it hadn’t disappeared entirely. It lingered in the crevices of his brain, waiting to wreak havoc once more. If he turned or tilted his head in any direction, it would return with a vengeance. So sitting stiffly and unmoving, Sébastien asked, “Before I tell you about my nonconventional treatment, could you tell me why you wanted to see me?”
“Well, Sheryl told me you helped her with the sexual problems she was having with her husband and I thought…” Marshall paused, his eyes shifting from right to left.
“It makes you uncomfortable to say it, doesn’t it, Marshall?”
“Yes, Doctor, it does.”
“Well, then you don’t have to say it. I’ll speak and you only need to nod if I’m correct or not.”
Marshall nodded, wide-eyed.
“You thought I could help you with the problems you’re having with your wife.”
Marshall shook his head. “No, I’m not married.”
“Then with your girlfriend?”
He nodded. “With past girlfriends. Not just one.”
“How many? Two? Three?”
Marshall continued to shake his head, then added, “All of them.”
Sébastien sighed. “Hmm, well, unfortunately, I won’t be able to help you answer the next question. You’ll need to do so alone. If you aren’t comfortable answering, then I can’t help you any further.”
Marshall grinned. “I’m fine, Doctor. I’ll answer whatever question you want me to.”
“All right, that’s excellent.” Sébastien drummed his fingers on the right armrest. “What type of problem did you have with all your former girlfriends?”
Marshall took a deep breath and, gazing directly into Sébastien’s eyes, responded, “My libido. Or rather my lack of libido.”
Sébastien’s brow lifted, and he couldn’t help but wonder how this muscular and handsome man before him found it hard to make love to women. But if Marshall decided to continue with the therapy, he would soon find out. His lips spread into a half grin to show encouragement. “Well, the good news is treating a low libido is easier than treating an overactive one.”
Marshall shook his head. “If you’re talking Viagra or other meds like that, I tried them. They don’t work.”
“No, I wasn’t talking medication. But your remark does raise a question for me.” He paused, then asked, “Have you seen a medical doctor for your problem?”
“Yes, I did, and I went through a slew of tests, which showed I was normal. So he prescribed me Viagra and other meds like that. None of the meds helped. And I won’t mention the side effects.”
“Yes, the side effects can be many,” Sébastien said, imagining how painful it could be if his cock stayed erect for long periods of time.
“After that I figured maybe homeopathic medicine would help. That’s how I met Sheryl. But she couldn’t help me and referred me to you.”
“I see.” He took a deep breath and tried to lift the man’s spirits. “All right, then we know it isn’t a physical thing. Which makes this easier for us.”
“Easier for me? Not really, Doctor.”
Sébastien grinned. “No, of course not, Marshall. I didn’t mean what you’re going through is easy. What I meant is now that I know that this isn’t physical, the therapy will be straightforward.”
Marshall leaned in closer, and with scrutinizing eyes, he asked, “What type of therapy are we talking here, Doc?”
Sébastien placed the empty glass on the table, and when he saw the dizziness didn’t return with the movement, he thanked God and said, “I’m not sure how much Mrs. Todd told you about me or my therapy, so it’s best I tell you exactly what I tell all my patients before I begin with any treatments.” He sighed. “First off, I’m not a certified sex therapist.”
“But you are a doctor. Aren’t you?”
“Yes, I have a doctorate, but not in psychology. In biochemistry.”
Marshall frowned. “Then why do you practice sex therapy?”
“Because I found my vocation in this. I have helped many people who couldn’t find the help they needed from doctors or psychologists or psychiatrists.” He leaned forward. “So shall I continue or has this news unsettled you and now you wish to terminate any further treatments and leave?”
A hesitant “No” slipped off Marshall’s lips. His eyes though showed his indecisiveness.
Sébastien continued, “You don’t sound that sure, Marshall. Let me tell you what some of my therapy sessions entail. Maybe that will help you make up your mind.”
“All right.”
“Well, in your case, the first thing I would do is have you tell me about your childhood.”
Marshall snorted. “Oh, now you do sound like a psychiatrist or Freudian who thinks my sex problems are all based on some traumatic episode I experienced in my childhood. Or that I had sexual fantasies of my mom. Relax, Doc. I am not a pervert. Nor did I have a pervert for a dad and I certainly wasn’t beaten. My parents are two of the best parents someone would ever hope to have.”
Sébastien lifted his hand. “Ah, you’re assuming, Marshall. I never thought that, nor did I imply it. Learning about your childhood and your past will help me understand you better. That’s all.”
“Okay, sorry for jumping the gun there, Doc. So, then what else?”
“Well, then I’d ask you to tell me what you remember about your past girlfriends. How you felt about them? What type of relationships were they? Etc.”
“Okay, that I can live with. What else?”
“Well, this may make you uneasy, and this is where my therapy is unconventional…”
“Oh, no, you’re not…”
Sébastien’s brow cocked and his lips broke into a grin. “Now, don’t assume, Marshall. Please allow me to finish.” He paused, and when he saw that Marshall didn’t speak, he said, “I will have you look at pictures of the nude female and male body and ask you under different circumstances how you react to them.”
Marshall squinted, frowning, but didn’t comment. So Sébastien felt compelled to add, “I can assure you that if at any moment you feel uncomfortable or pressured in the session, we will stop and take a different route in the therapy. I believe that the road to effective treatment is a road paved by the patient, not by the therapist. In other words, I will not cure you of your problem. Instead, it will be you, yourself, who will. I am and will always be your guide only. And will never force you to do, think, say, or experience anything you don’t want to or aren’t ready for emotionally or mentally.”
He paused and stared at Marshall’s reaction. His furrowed brows straightened and his eyes lightened. Then Sébastien took a deep breath and gazed at the clock on the wall. Realizing the time, he said, “Well, Marshall, I don’t want you to answer that question now.” He stood. “What I want you to do is go home and think this over for a day. If after that time, you are still interested in having me as your therapist, you can come back at two tomorrow, and we will have our first session.”
Marshall got up and followed Sébastien to the door. “All right, Doctor.”
Sébastien lifted his finger in notation and smiled. “Also, please call me Sébastien. You are not my patient, but my client, and I’m not your doctor.”
“Okay.”
Sébastien extended his hand. “Well then, it was nice to meet you, Marshall, and if by tomorrow you decide to continue with your therapy, I’ll be delighted to help you.”
They shook hands and he opened the door, and just as Marshall stepped into the corridor, he remembered. “Oh, and by the way, I don’t know if Mrs. Todd told you or not, but I do not get paid anything until the treatment is over and your problem is fixed.”
Marshall’s eyes opened wide. “But how can you make a living like that?”
Sébastien grinned and waggled his brow. “I do. Everyone who has followed my treatment has been successful. I have a one-hundred-percent success rate. Good day, Marshall, it was nice to have met you.”
Marshall grinned back. “Yes, it was nice to have met you, too, Doc. I mean, Sébastien.”
Sébastien closed the door and couldn’t help but note how Marshall’s bright smile enhanced his looks. He was a rare beauty, indeed. His chiseled face and bright eyes and smile, along with his perfectly white teeth and thick blond hair that fell into his eyes, made him one of the best looking people he had ever seen.
Now feeling the soreness in his limbs warned Sébastien that if he didn’t continue with the purification he so abruptly interrupted before, he would go into shock. He meandered into the room and sat next to the Purifier. As he reinserted new, sterile needles into his arm, he wondered about Marshall.
What would Marshall have said if Sébastien told him that his therapy practice was only a sideline? What would he have said if he knew that Sébastien was actually a millionaire and that his discovery, which now traveled through the Purifier beside him, had made him that?
BUY LINKS: Bookstrand | Amazon | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
In this fourth installment in the Sexy Men of Mystery series we once again subtly delve into the world of vampires where there's an inner battle raging between vampire's ideas of nature versus nurture. While a faction wants to peacefully live amongst humans using medical technology to curb their appetites another wants to rule over humanity and uses friends turned traitors to see the violence continue.
Into a recent rash of murders leaving bodies drained of blood rookie detective Marshall Ray is thrown into an unexplainable mystery where danger may be closer than he thinks. As the real murderer continues getting closer, Marshall is forced to rely on his heart when the physical and increasingly emotional relationship burgeoning between him and the luscious doctor Sebastien makes the facts hard to comprehend. Marshall has made a mistake during a case before and is desperate to prove himself this time around so he goes off on his own to bring the criminal to justice and ends up becoming embroiled in a hot and heavy relationship with the dashing and mysterious Sebastien who's supposed to help him overcome his sexual problems. Needless to say he's quickly cured courtesy of numerous vividly erotic m/m encounters that he jumps into quickly and wholeheartedly though he's never been in a relationship with a man before.
Sebastien is a vampire though he shows no outward signs of it. He appears human relying on a blood purification device to keep him from feeding on humans. Lately though he's been waking up covered in blood with defensive wounds he can't explain and that have him fearing himself. It's not a good time to fall in love but he's drawn to Marshall and knows they're destined to be together which is apparent in their scorching sexual encounters where they're perfectly in sync. Sebastien is a classy and refined gentleman but loves spending time with the blue-collar Marshall and envisions a lifetime of happiness if he can just survive the revelation of whodunit.
This was an entertaining story that mostly revolved around the scorching connection between Sebastien and Marshall who are both immensely appealing. The mystery was nicely done with parts of it obvious but the big reveal coming out of nowhere. The issue of vampirism was casually dealt with with no future ramifications touched on which gave the story a HFN feel. Though this book is part of a series it can be read on its own as there's only a slight connection to previous installments. Overall, fans of the paranormal and m/m genres wil be entertained in another satisfying story by Ms. Frost.
My rating for this is a C+
*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Jessica Frost has always had a passion for fiction and the written word. Add to that her wild, vivid imagination and her pure romantic tendencies and she soon realized she had the traits needed to become a romance author. She decided to take the very big first step not that long ago and wrote her first erotic romance story. And she has not looked back since.
Being a romance writer is a dream come true for her. Having the opportunity to create fantasy worlds where anything and everything can happen is an amazing feeling. She hopes these worlds and the delightful characters she creates will bring hours of enjoyment to her readers as they have done for her.
WEBSITE: http://www.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/Author_
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Author.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hi Jody,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for taking the time to review my book and featuring my story on your blog. I'm glad you enjoyed the mystery aspect of it. :)
Have a lovely day!
Jessica
Thank YOU for stopping by! I'm intrigued by the medical aspect in dealing with vampirism and hope to see this expanded upon. Do you know how many more books you have planned for the series?
DeleteThe Scarf Princess
Hi Jody,
DeleteI'm working on the sixth book right now. But there probably will be more books in the series after that.
Thanks and have a lovely weekend. :)
The book sounds interesting. I enjoy both vampire books and m/m books, so this book with the combination is ideal for my reading tastes. I would love to find out about Ms. Frost's creation of a world that includes vampires using a blood purification system rather than consuming actual blood. That sounds quite original. I also want to see how she addresses the detective, who has a history of dating women, becoming interested in the doctor. I look forward to finding out how she addresses these issues. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank YOU for your insightful comments! I too want to learn more about the medical aspects of vampirism and hope to see more in any future books. The romance does evolve quickly, but a person can't help who they're attracted to, and boy howdy these two are smokin' hot together!
DeleteThe Scarf Princess
Sounds like a hot & steamy book! Thanks for sharing it and the giveaway. Wishing everyone a wonderful and magical holiday season! evamillien at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteInteresting premise and setup. Thanks for the review and the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI liked reading the review, Thank you for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteThe Sex Doctor does indeed sound sexy! I haven't read the earlier books in the series, but I'm going to have to look them up.
ReplyDeleteNice excerpt
ReplyDeleteThanks for the helpful review.
ReplyDeleteAs a librarian, I appreciate an honest and thoughtful review.
ReplyDelete