The Applicant, by Aidee Ladnier (novella)
Series: Busted Labs, Book 1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: January 11, 2017

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

How can something so cuddly and adorable be so destructive? The teddy bear robot decimating his lab is only the first disaster of the day for roboticist Forbes Pohle. If he can figure out how to end its rampage, he still has to interview applicants for the position of research assistant and convince the time traveler on his doorstop that they should be making their future right now.

Oliver Lennox didn’t travel back in time to have a quickie in the blast chamber—but it certainly is fun. This younger Forbes is a sweeter, more innocent version of his lover. And it will be hard to leave him behind in the past.

If you like sexy nerds, humor, plenty of action, and a love story not even time can disrupt, this romantic adventure has the perfect credentials for the job.

First Edition published as The Applicant (or Virgins, Robot Bears, and Other Disasters) by Torquere Press, 2012.

M/M Pairing
Gay Characters
Science Fiction
Time Travel
Virgin Character
Novella

Warning for robot teddy bears and hot techies!

First of all, slipping rampaging teddy bears into the blurb is a dirty, dirty trick. How am I supposed to not one-click this book? Okay fine, it was actually just the one bear running amok but it totally lived up to its hype. The little monster exceeded my lofty expectations in the cuteness and destructiveness categories.

Secondly, geeky MCs are my kryptonite, and oh boy do Forbes the roboticist and Oliver the computer programmer qualify in every possible way.

“It’s about an m1 pulled to his m2.” He whispered the words in Forbes’ ear. “Come be my m2.”

With its cute robots and hot techies, The Applicant was an enjoyable ride that was chock full of romance, mischief and memories. Or whatever you call memories when you’re from the future and you travel back in time to stop your current lover from making a mistake in his past. Did I mention the time travel?

“It’s about two bodies in the universe being attracted to each other.”

Thankfully the time travel aspect wasn’t too confusing. Set in the course of one very eventful day in Forbes’ life, the novella was brief but it packed a punch. I was totally hooked on both Forbes and Oliver and I loved how electric their connection was – an odd mix of fresh yet familiar that gave me chills. The author did a great job teasing us with tidbits from their future lives together and I was dying to know their entire story.

“You can do nothing that will keep me from loving you in every timeline.”

The Applicant was a surprisingly sexy and highly intriguing read that left me wanting more right away. Fortunately, its sequel The Break-In is immediately available from Dreamspinner Press.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $5 gift card!

Aidee Ladnier, an award-winning author of speculative fiction, began writing at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, fold origami, send ping pong balls into space, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.

You can purchase The Applicant at:
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon
B&N Nook
Kobo

I received an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review.

To celebrate the release of The Applicant, one lucky winner will receive a $5 gift certificate from Dreamspinner Press! To enter the contest, leave a comment below along with your email address. Entries close at midnight (Eastern time) on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Contest is open worldwide. Don’t forget to leave your contact info, and good luck!