If It Drives

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Synopsis

Callum Bryant has worked as a chauffeur for James Harcourt, a wealthy banker, for the past year and a half. During that time, Cal has developed a strong crush on his boss, so every time James asks Cal to take him to Market Garden, an upscale brothel, and brings home one of the rent boys, it stirs Cal's jealousy. Then one night, James goes to the Garden but comes home alone, something that's never happened before. He invites Cal in for a nightcap, and after one thing leads to another, they end up in bed together, fulfilling Cal's longtime dream. However, the aftermath is way more awkward than it should have been with James, once more, placing Cal at arm's length. When James goes back to Market Garden, Cal can't help wondering what was missing for James in their night together that the boys at the Garden are providing, so he decides to ask them just that. They get him in touch with Nick, one of the rent boys who previously serviced James, and he lets Cal in on the fact that James needs someone who's more dominant. After training with Nick, Cal realizes that he already has some natural Dom tendencies, so he lets James know that he's happy to provide what he needs. But after a particularly intense session together, James still shuts Cal out, leaving him wondering if he truly can be all that James desires.

Review

If It Drives is a short novel that's the seventh book in L. A. Witt and Aleksandr Voinov's Market Garden series. This one features James, a submissive client who Nick serviced in If It Fornicates and his chauffeur, Callum. Cal has had a thing for James since he started working for him eighteen months ago. It stirs Cal's jealousy every time James asks Cal to take him to Market Garden, an elite club/brothel, and he brings home a rent boy, because Cal would like to be the one taking care of James's sexual needs. However, the story opens with James leaving Market Garden alone because Nick, the rent boy he wanted, no longer works there. This has never happened before, so it perplexes Cal. Once they're back home, James invites Cal in for a drink. Cal is a little confused by what exactly it is James wants from him, but gradually one thing leads to another and they end up in bed. The aftermath is pretty awkward, though, and when James requests another ride to Market Garden a few days later, it upsets Cal, who wonders what James is getting there that he didn't give him. Eventually Cal decides to pose that exact question to the guys at the Garden who get him in touch with Nick. After consulting with Nick, Cal realizes that what James likely needs is stronger domination, something Cal feels fairly comfortable doing for him. With Nick's help, Cal has some pretty satisfying sexual encounters with James, but when James more or less checks out after a particularly intense session, he starts to wonder if he really can be all that James needs him to be.

Callum is the exclusive third-person narrator of the story. He's studying writing with an eye toward one day becoming a published author. Working as a chauffeur for his uncle's limo company has given him the time and funds he needs to pursue his dream. He's been James's driver for the past eighteen months, and has been very attracted to him that entire time. That makes it hard for him every time he has to drive James to Market Garden to hire a rent boy, when he'd like nothing more than to be with James himself. The night James goes home alone, Cal is really confused and unsure exactly what James wants. Eventually, though, the shared alcohol lowers their inhibitions enough that Cal finally gets the chance to show James what he's been missing, but in the aftermath things get really awkward. Cal isn't sure if James would like him to stay or if he should just go like the rent boys always do. Then a few days later James wants to go back to the Garden, leaving Cal upset and wondering what he did wrong. Desperately wanting to be with James, he works up the courage to go to the Garden himself to see if he can get any insights into what it is his employer wants in a sexual relationship. They get him in touch with Nick, the Dom rent boy who once topped James, and Cal ends up paying Nick for Dom lessons. He realizes he already has Dom tendencies so he just needs some pointers on how to improve his technique. This leads to some explosive sessions with James that rock Cal to his core, but when James is still struggling with genuinely letting Cal in, he thinks it may be the end of their relationship. Cal is a great guy. He's exactly the type of Dom I like, one who can easily command his sub, but who has a sweet side and a heart of gold underneath. He may worry that he can't be all that James needs, but he goes to great lengths to show how much he cares and wants to be with James, and in doing so, earns James's unwavering trust, one of the most important ingredients in any relationship but especially a D/s one.

By day, James is a powerful investment banker, but by night, he likes to blow off steam with a sexual partner for hire, because it seems to be the easiest thing to do. He's bisexual and recently divorced from his wife, which left him at loose ends. Many nights he appears emotionally lost and depressed, leaving Callum worrying that he's self-medicating with sex, which is part of what stirs Cal to seek out help in getting through to James. Whenever he and Cal are together, James is more than eager to please his Dom even before Cal takes it to the next level and he also enjoys a bit of pain on the side, something that Cal is happy to provide. However, he struggles with how to respond to Cal afterward. He's used to just having rent boys over to satisfy his sexual needs and then they leave, so he makes a lot of missteps in his relationship with Cal. It takes nearly losing him for James to finally wake up and figure out what he really wants for the both of them. Since we only get to see James through Cal's eyes, readers aren't exactly privy to the inner workings of his mind. It could perhaps be just a tad frustrating that James doesn't seem to know what he truly needs or wants from Cal, but mixed in with his doubts and uncertainties is a healthy helping of desire and eagerness to please Cal when they're together. He also implicitly trusts Cal, so because of these things, I was able to forgive most of his indecisiveness.

If It Drives was yet another thoroughly enjoyable read in this series. It was a little different in that neither of the main characters are rent boys from the Garden. Cal is a guy who knows what he wants, both in life and from James. James may be more uncertain, but he does eventually get his act together when it looks like he might lose the best thing that's ever happened to him. I thought they were well-matched as both Dom and sub and as a romantic couple. There is a lot of awkwardness between them, in part because of the employer/employee relationship, but they eventually figure that out in a very sexy way. The awkwardness could also sometimes be endearing, as it showed both characters' vulnerabilities. I love that Cal was willing to move heaven and earth to be what James needed, even though James struggles to understand why Cal would do something so nice for him. When James gives that ultimate trust to Cal, it was a very beautiful moment. Their love scenes are hella hot and steamy, but also sweetly romantic. In between, there's a whole lot of longing and desire building up that gave me all the feels I look for in a romance. So overall, If It Drives was a very satisfying read. I'm now excited to read On the Clock, the final installment of the series, soon.

Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, including a D/s relationship, mild sadism/masochism, a Dom trainer in the room observing our main couple having sex, and sex work, all of which could be objectionable to sensitive readers.

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L. A. Witt

Aleksandr Voinov

Themes

Opposite Sides of the Track