I have really come to love the day Laura drops new Ellora’s Cave books into my email. I generally pick one book to check out and this one, 30 days to Syn by Charlotte Boyett-Compo was a really good one. It was not a whole lot like what I had anticipated it would be when I read the synopsis. From the description, I had thought it would be one of those medium warm alpha male books where the dynamic established a dark and passionate journey through a rather innocent woman’s fantasies in which at the end they both submit to their growing feelings. This was not that book; it was a compelling, funny, charming and touching novel full of sensual eroticism that played into two vulnerable character being brought together.

Lina Wynth is up a creek and can’t afford paddle, much less a boat. Hell, she can little afford to get near the creek. She is trying to find a way to take care of a physically disabled brother who requires hospice care, when she can’t actually buy food to support herself at home. When her best friend calls her about a help wanted ad tucked in the BFN portion of the classifieds that she is already playing tic-tac-toe on she reads it with all the skepticism in the world. “Young woman (American only) willing to engage in domination roleplay. No BDSM. Salary: $1,000,000 upon completion of contract. Length of employment: 30 consecutive nights.” It sounds like a college prank to her. Who in their right mind would actually answer an ad like that? Who would post an ad like that and mean it? It’s only when desperation becomes something far more poignant that she gives in and calls.

When you have more money than you have faith in humanity you can spare a few million looking for something to restore something that you lost when you were too young to realize that life isn’t supposed to be complete crap. Synjyn McGregor has many motives to place the ad and isn’t even aware of some of them until after he begins seeing Melina Wynth. What starts out as an agreement he has repeated time and again in the past has all new implications with the woman who exemplifies all the traits he has long for in a woman: loyalty, compassion, affection, sacrifice, sincerity. The deal is for domination roleplay but he finds himself longing for more and breaking his own rules. He let’s her into his personal life, introduces her to his friends–who are his family, and tells her his secrets.

Synjyn is like sugar for my heart. I love a good wounded hero and this one is all sorts of broken pieces. I don’t think that there is any better feature in a book boyfriend than vulnerability under a humorous harden shell. I am from the school of, “If I didn’t laugh, I would cry.” I enjoy the trait in others and people who can laugh about themselves is something that endears people to me quickly. It’s a pretty horrible world when you take yourself too seriously. This book is full of chuckles along with touching moments. I think Craigie and Jono are the kind of buddies I would love my husband to have.

I just recently made up a new frame of categories for Book Boyfriends. It’s so easy to say Joe Shmo is my book boyfriend and that is a meaningless qualification. It’s a little like saying Bunny is my cat. It tells you nothing about her. She is actually a very timid, neurotic, calico manx. She sucks on her baby blanket and she almost never leaves my side unless one of the other cats chase her on top of the fridge. She loves to eat spinach and if I’m not careful she will eat the vegetables off my plate. That tells you about her. My new category system will help you tell you a little more about where the Book Boyfriends fall inside the stories and they go like this…

Book Boyfriend-Bad Boy
Book Boyfriend-Boy Next Door
Book Boyfriend-Dirty Talker
Book Boyfriend-Does it All Right
Book Boyfriend-Enigma
Book Boyfriend-Jerk
Book Boyfriend-Pushes Too Hard
Book Boyfriend-Reluctant and Insecure

Syn would fall under two of these Book Boyfriend categories. He is a dirty talker and does it all right Book Boyfriend. I’d sort of throw in the bad boy too because he technically has a streak of defiant and does his own thing going on but I wouldn’t say that he is necessarily infamous or notorious which is making me keep him out of that category.

This book was really pretty damn incredible. I should throw in here that Synjyn and his entire crew are New Zealanders and Charlotte Boyett-Compo uses a good deal of slang and common tongue. For the most part she provides translation as someone is always clarifying to Lina what the comment might mean. However, conversations with Syn’s assistant Spike tend to be incredible fast paced and she is devil tongued and spews what you know must be cusses and insults without any further need for elucidation. I think she is probably one of my favorite characters in the story. She never backs down and has a backbone of steel and is funny as all hell with Synjyn and his bellowing and yelling.

For some reason, as of today, which is Saturday, December 28, 2013, Goodreads still does not have a profile for this book. I’ve tried to have it imported a few times but it hasn’t showed up for some reason. I highly recommend you check out the title on the Ellora’s Cave site or Amazon. Charlotte Boyett-Compo has a website you can check out. She can also be found on Goodreads, and Amazon Author Pages.

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