The Pro by D.J. Manly

The Pro Reviews

• 
  AngelFire

  DNF @ 9%
  
  This book made me laugh to the point of being in tears...but the problem was that the author never intended for me to laugh in the first place. That's when you know it's not meant to be.
  
  The problem was with the writing. The author was trying to make both MCs come across as Badass and Cool but they only came across as ridiculous, pathetic and obnoxious. It started out bad but then I got to a section that made me cry with laughter because it was one of the most absurd things I've ever read in a romance:
  
  He caught a look at himself in the mirror for a second and paused. His body was hard and toned.
  
  A few lines later:
  
  Zach zipped up the jeans and ran a hand over his chest. He took a minute to inspect his rock-hard pecs and abs.
  
  I...seriously? It was so bad that it almost felt like parody but I can tell that the author is completely serious and thinks they're doing a stellar job establishing these Ultra Cool MCs. Granted, this book was written in 2008 when the published MM romance genre was in its infancy and thus, mediocre writing, plotting and characterization was acceptable. But I can't read stuff like this in 2022.
• 
  Karen K

  Lee is a high-paid hooker male escort who cares about his clients and treats them with respect, he has a heart of gold despite being treated quite poorly in his life and I fell in love with him instantly. He wears his emotions on his sleeve and his instant attraction to Zach was heartfelt and jumped off the page for me. Zach is a highly-obsessed cop who's thisclose to being a washed-up alcoholic and though it took a little while for me to warm up to him, he eventually won me over. The cop and the prostitute, perhaps not that rare a relationship in m/m but it's the sweetest one I've read and I really enjoyed this book.
  
  The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, the angst and want kept my heart fluttering and the ending made me smile. What more can you ask for in a book?
  
  Side note: I loved reading about Lee's clients, each needing more than just his sexual attention. He was kind to them and the description of him with them gave me so much insight to Lee's character.
• 
  Heather

  Hot story about a male prostitute who becomes involved with a hot police officer while working undercover to bring down a drug lord.
  
  Lots of sexual tension!! It took a while for sex to happen between the H/H, and when it did it was really really steamy. Good plot, although towards the end, I would have liked a little more focus on the relationship and less on the criminals...
  
  I enjoyed it!
  
  xo
• 
  Lara

  Hmm. Two things this book made me realize. First, I love me some rent boys. Lee was too cute & I totally loved his character. Second, I think I need a break from cops for a while. I'm on law enforcement overload lately. Too much obsession with bad guys & plots that have a million holes. For the most part this was a nice little romance. Great sex. But the bad guy plot left a little to be desired.
• 
  Elisa Rolle

  I don't know if D.J. Manly is a "he" or a "she" by I tend to be incline for a "he": he has a way to describe his men that is primordial and open, very raw but not vulgar.
  
  Lee is a whore. He prefers to call himself male escort, and he is a very expensive male escort, but even if he has some nice and caring "customers", he is always a whore. And one of his customer is a vicious criminal who is targeted by Zach, a liutenant who has devoted his life to bring him down. Zach has lost his life and his lover, is on the edge of alcoholism and has only one scope in his life: arrests Daniel Lebeau. And Lee is his key to success.
  
  But also a whore has feelings and Lee begins to care too much for this tough and honest cop. And cares too much is not good when you have to pretend to not care at all.
  
  D.J. Manly doesn't use half measure. Lee is a whore. And he does his work, even when he falls in love with Zach. Not improbable rescue at the last minute. Not unbelievable excuses to not doing what he has to do. And when he falls in love he falls body and soul. And love for Zach and Lee is a very physical expression.
  
  Zach is the "classical" one-piece cop: too clever to not care, he has seen too much and now he is questioning himself about his life and his future. He doesn't judge, doesn't look upon the others, and he can really love Lee. But loving Lee will come first to his work?
  
  The men in D.J. Manly's novels are always handsome and sexy, and always ready for some action between the sheets. So if you don't like to read about hot manlove and explicit sex, stay away; but if you like your romance a little rough and a lot sweat and meat, I reccomend The Pro (it's worth your money, pun intended).
  
  
  http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/17...
• 
  Pia

  Another first for me -- first DJ Manly read -- and I'm sure there will be more.
  
  Lee enjoys his job as an elite escort to the rich men of the city until he meets manly-man and cop, Zach. While it hasn't bothered Lee that his clients like to tell him they own him, order him around, and call him a slut and a whore, suddenly Lee cares about being called a prostitute when it comes out of Zach's mouth.
  
  But there's more than just the budding romance that both men are resisting for their own reasons, there's a well connected vilian who has eluded the justice system -- a villian who would love an opportunity to get rid of his cop shadow and wouldn't shed a tear having to give up his favorite toy/whore in the process.
  
  Without spoiling it, I can vaguely say that part of the ending I expected (hey, we all know there's going to be a HEA or HFN in romance, right?) and part I didn't. Good tension throughout, both sexual and from the evil deeds of the bad guy. A bit slow moving in the middle and a little extra sappy when the L-word finally surfaces, but overall a decent book for the Rent Boy shelf.
• 
  Shaz

  D.J. Manly is a hit or miss kind of author for me. I either truly enjoy the books, or I really don't connect with the characters at all. Luckily, I really enjoyed this one!
  
  It could be (and I suppose it is) a rather cliche story about an obsessed cop who virtually blackmails a male prostitute to be a snitch for him. But the way D.J. tell this story lets you see beyond that. You get drawn into the lives of Zach and Lee. You get to understand why Zach is so obsessed. And how Lee is perfectly happy in his little bubble of luxury thanks to his chosen profession. You are made a part of their building relationship and the sizzling sexual tension that simmers between these two MC's.
  
  All in all it was a great read and another hit for me from this author.
• 
  Tamela

  Good basic story but I wasn't too happy with the characters. I guess because I have an issue with alcoholics and find the idea of a police office drinking on the job and while driving a real problem. So I did NOT like Zach. Especially when he blackmailed Lee into risking his life to do Zach's job.
  
  Oops, I'm getting on my soap box so I'll stop here and say it was a good read but not one I'll re-read. But remember, that's just MY problems about drinking talking.
• 
  Alina

  I loved it!
  Hot and dynamic story with loads of sexual tension! Both characters're very likeable, their relationship hot and intense and the crime solving part was engaging too.
  Very good read!
• 
  C.L.

  Reread
• 
  Kazza

  This was an excellent read. I've read 3 rent-boy books in as many days. This one is the best hands down.
  
  Zach is an emotionally burnt out cop attached to the SFPD, who drinks too much, mornings included, and is obsessed with putting away a man responsible for his waking and sleeping nightmares of a 4 year old girl that was left for dead and he couldn't save. His 'work' obsession has ended his previous relationship with his partner, Peter, and he's lonely, sexually frustrated, with attitude to back it up.
  
  Lee is a $2,000 a night hooker who's client base is obviously wealthy, including some shady and/or high profile men. Lee has all types and one of the interesting things about this book is observing him in business mode with them. I liked Lee, he's a pretty decent guy who looks at what he does as a form of social work, with good pay. One of his regular clients, Daniel Lebeau, fits into the shady category, and is the man Zach has been obsessed about putting away for the little girls death. Lee is starting to get toey about his job because the word whore starts being bandied about more often now, and he gets shaken up at a client's house one night as well.
  
  Because Zach is constantly on Labeau's case he spots Lee whilst with Labeau and coerces him into being his insider. Lee isn't too keen but he's less keen on Zach's threats to be purposely indiscreet about Lee with Lee's clients, which will effectively leave him a pariah without work.
  
  The dialogue is so good in this book, the snarky Zach and sexy Lee go at it and eventually become lovers, and my lord isn't that steamy. The crime component to the book is excellent; I feel the sex to plot ratio is perfect. The storyline is insta-attraction, but you do get to see a development of the MC's relationship and they don't jump into bed together straight away. I also liked the realistic thoughts from Lee about his clients - some have small penises, one is overweight and living at home with mother, one is dying, some are attractive and so on. Some rent-boy books are all about how wonderful every client is.
  
  I love cop books, I love rent-boy books, although it's hard to get a good one, and this one has both in a well written package, complete with delicious protagonists. It was a good read and it kept me turning the pages wanting to see what was going to happen. The Pro is highly recommended reading.
  
  Review also at On Top Down Under Book Reviews -
  http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/...
  
  
  
  
• 
  Ami

  Lee Hastings is a mid-twenty high class prostitute. He never really cares about what people think of him; he thinks if people can give it away (meaning money) why they should get it for free. That changes when Zachary Freeman walks into his life. Zach is a washed-out obsessed drunk cop who has his eyes on one of Lee's client. Zach sort of blackmail Lee to help him nail the bastard. However, in the process both men realize that their life has been lonely and they might find happiness in each other's arm.
  
  I always love stories involving someone in "better" position to fall in love with a prostitute: cops, lawyer, rich guys ... it's just Cinderella-like, you know. Blame Gere and Roberts in "Pretty Woman" to make me a sucker for HEA with prositute characters :). The sexual tension and chemistry in this book is so real, I feel like I get in heat whenever I reach Zach and Lee's scenes. It's so sweet how the two opens up about their feeling. The only niggle is in the end I'm not sure what Lee will do when he's out of the job, since he doesn't seem to have another talent (oh, he does speaks foreign languages). Oh, well, he can just be Zach's beautiful husband who takes care the household ^_^
• 
  Feliz

  This started out as a really good read. It's a nice enough story with lots of hot sex. The concept, a hooker and a cop falling in love, isn't new but the author did a great job delivering it. The two men, Lee and Zach, are both wonderfully tortured heroes, and particularly Lee is a really likeable character. The way the interaction with his dying trick was described...moving. And the dialogue was just delicious, witty banter and funny double entendres.
  
  Unfortunately, at about two thirds of the book the story drowned in saccharine sweetness. As if the author, once he had the two together and in love, couldn't wind the whole thing up fast enough, as if he wanted to be over and done with it. Zach, who used to drink breakfast, can let go of the booze impossibly easy, only for love. Lee mutates into a damsel in distress and then into a male Cinderella to be rescued by Zach.
  
  All in all, this book is still worth reading, if only for the delicious banter. Smooth, entertaining writing, likeable heroes and a highly erotic lovestory. Recommended.
  
  
• 
  Cindi

  This story is about a high class male escort (Lee) who is forced by a hot cop (Zach) to become an informant to get information on one of his johns.
  
  I really enjoyed this book. Watching Lee and Zach as their relationship grew was very entertaining. Though Lee knew his feelings for Zach had changed, he still had to continue doing his job. While there was some jealousy on Zach's part, the story didn't bog down as a result of it. While the action with the "bad guys" was somewhat minimal, it didn't detract from the story. Of course there could have been a few more details here and there to explain a few things, but I still ended the book satisfied with the way the story went and how it ended.
  
  This is my first by this author. I look forward to reading much more.
• 
  ElaineY

  Another gay cop romance from Manly. I preferred Essence, perhaps because there wasn't a good enough ending in this one. There's an HEA, of course, but there was no resolution of the men's ambivalence over Lee's profession.
  
  Ambivalence is too mild a word. Then again, Manly chose to downplay the issue of what Lee was going to do if he gave up his career as a high-priced whore. Lee may have been in denial until the end but Zach (an ex-vice cop. no less) was clearly unhappy about it.
  
  Would have been better, IMO, if Manly had given Lee some talent or gift (other than sex) that he could use to start a new career.
• 
  esse

  Average story on an average cop that blackmails an average male prostitute in order to catch the average bad guy. Ensue an average love story between the average cop and the average male prostitute that results in the average happy ending, with the average bad guy in prison and the average male prostitute leaving the profession for love.
• 
  Tay

  I love this book. I love how Lee and Zach just seem so wrong for each other at first but then they are so perfect. Who would this a male escort would make an obsessed alcoholic cop change his ways and fall in love.
• 
  Amanda

  IMO the main characters were unlikeable, it's insta-love and super cheesy.
• 
  Gwendolyn

  Zachary is an asshole. I kept hoping Lee would tell Lebeau, and the guy would off Zach.
• 
  Lisa

  I liked this book.Zach is a cop on a mission to catch a man who he believes set up the abduction of a 4 year old girl.Lee is a high class prostitute who Zach enlists as a CI.
• 
  Wyndslash

  Cute and fluffy. :)