I usually like Cat Grant books. I usually like rent boy stories. I usually enjoy books set in Berkeley, my hometown. I expected to love this book. I was disappointed.I went into this story with enthusiasm but also curious skepticism, because I really couldn't imagine why an intelligent, young, healthy man would need to hook to finish college. I completed college in the Bay Area without ever hooking, or even considering it. I've known many, many other people of whom that's also true. So I couldn't imagine why hooking would be necessary.I never did figure it out. No explanation was given, except that Wes seemed to think that was his only way to complete college before he was 40. Of course, this is the same kid so severely lacking critical thinking skills that he believes he needs a car (in Berkeley!), if for no other reason than most of his clients are in San Francisco and he doesn't want to wait for BART or bus in the dark. But if he weren't prostituting himself in SF he wouldn't need to be taking BART or bus home after dark. Not to mention the illogic of feeling safer alone with a john than at a bus or BART stop.There were other logical or factual errors related to UC Berkeley tuition, how much money a student realistically needs to live on in Berkeley, the weather, etc. Each of which was bad enough, but then Wes says he wants to get counseling but is afraid they'll call the cops, and Connor almost reassures him by explaining patient confidentiality but then doesn't. Why not? Because "forcing him to seek help before he was ready wouldn't do him a damn bit of good." Except that he just said he wants the help but is afraid to get it because of the expected repercussions. I know brilliance in physics doesn't necessarily translate to brilliance with people, but that seems like basic Listening 101.I'm assuming there was a story in there but I missed it because of my distraction with the trees. Nothing Wes did made any sense to me, and Connor only made sense if I squinted. I never really liked or cared about either character, or understood what they saw in each other beyond a common interest in physics and men. Maybe that's enough, but it would have been nice to be able to believe it.But I think I was a fool to expect believability from this story in any way. The villain was so OTT odious and evil, I could only laugh at him. That Wes fell into his evil web just convinced me that Wes was TSTL, something I'd been suspecting all along. Despite all that, I was still caught by surprise at the end when they suddenly - completely out of the blue - declare themselves and everything is magically perfect. By then I was just glad it was finally over.
