Book Review: The Ex Factor by R.J. Scott

Reviewed by Susan65

Title: The Ex Factor
Author: R.J. Scott
Series: Bodyguards, Inc. #2
Heroes: Ben Collins/Daniel Lincoln
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 172 Pages
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Release Date: June 27, 2014
Available at: Love Lane Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and All Romance eBooks
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  When Bodyguard, Ben Collins, finds Daniel Lincoln in a room, hiding and hurt, he doesn’t immediately think Daniel is the victim of abuse. Daniel is good at pretending and being a finalist in a TV singing competition he seems like he has it made.

But something about Daniel calls to Ben’s need to protect and he hands Daniel a card to contact him if ever Daniel needed help. Abruptly, after one frightened phone call from Daniel, Ben is racing to Daniel’s aid and what he finds is a horror he can’t imagine.

Daniel is trapped in a relationship where anger and controlling hate are the only emotions he is given. When his boyfriend crosses the line and leaves Daniel vulnerable and broken there is only one man that he wants to call.

The sexy bodyguard who promised he could help him.

Review:  I don’t normally watch reality TV shows, but The Ex Factor, and especially the behind the scenes aspects of this fictional talent show, really grabbed my attention and pulled me in. Don’t expect that I will be watching TV any more than usual, but if I happen to flip through the channels and see a reality musical talent show, I am sure I will be thinking of Daniel and his sad story.

Daniel is musically gifted and is one of three remaining talents on The Ex Factor when he meets Ben, a bodyguard assigned to the show. Ben finds Daniel to be an exceptional artist and very cute, but steers clear because he knows he is in a committed relationship. What he doesn’t realize immediately is that that relationship is abusive and extremely toxic. So much so that Daniel has to hide his bruises by wearing concealing clothing and doing his own make-up. He comes off as a diva when, in reality, he can barely move because of his injuries.

I was never happier to see an ex-boyfriend get the boot as much as I was in this case. Daniel was so mentally and physically abused that I didn’t think he had it in him, but he did it, and for a while, he is fine. Sadly, he is too trusting and easily falls back into his ex’s clutches. This is where Ben comes to his rescue. Ben suspected all wasn’t well during the show and passed his card on to Daniel in case he ever needed his help. When he never called, Ben assumed that Daniel was fine.

The relationship between Ben and Daniel was really sweet. Ben is a big ol’ lug who is tired of people only wanting to sleep with him because he is a large man but could care less about him as a person. He doesn’t have that with Daniel, and the two of them slowly form a relationship based on mutual attraction and genuine caring. Ben is super protective, although he doesn’t baby him but allows Daniel to regain his dignity and become the man he was meant to be.

It is never easy to read about domestic violence, and I’m sure that it’s extremely hard for an author to write about it. But in this case, RJ Scott did a great job of bringing this sad situation to life with respect and emotion. I love reading about difficult life issues and watching the hero lovingly bring the victim back to life. In this case, Ben was the perfect hero for Daniel. He was the man Daniel needed to help him break out of his shell and show the world he had it what it takes to be successful.

Overall Impression: I really liked it

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*