Author: T.J. Hamilton
ISBN: 9781743693858
RRP: $24.99
Buying Thyme is written by former police officer T.J. Hamilton, her fictional works draw on the experiences she had working the streets of Sydney; not the way her characters work those streets though. In her debut with Harlequin Mira we meet Miranda, a high class escort working for a prestigious agency out of a Sydney penthouse.
Miranda is one of Miss Stephanie’s most sought after assets and she has been taught the fine art of seduction, lessons that she learned well. Miranda has perfected her game face, learned her role and is fluent at slipping into her alter ego when she enters the penthouse. Like all the girls at the agency Miranda is not her real name, it’s her working name, and no-one at work knows her real name. Miranda remembers her real name but sometimes she wonders if she remembers the real girl.
Buying Thyme gives us an inside look at the life of a high class escort. Miranda is not comfortable with what she does; the job is exhilarating once she’s doing it but it’s not something she wants anyone knowing about her. Outside of the business the news is only known by her flamboyantly gay best friend Charlie. She has even kept the information from her family, and she shares everything with her brother.
Miranda’s profession is a good indicator of what you will find within these pages. There is a lot of steamy action and some very graphic scenes, some gratuitous but some I think were integral to the flow of the story.
For the right price Miranda can be bought by anyone, as a high class escort it’s usually not by the hour and not a price just anyone can afford. She has a few regulars and there is something about her that captures the attention of her clients, and often has them hankering for more than what’s covered in her job description.
I found Miranda to be an extremely engaging character, I wanted to get to know her and I want to find out what happened to propel her into the world of prostitution. She has never worked in the seedier brothels or worked the streets, her start came in the high class escort agency. I would love to get to know all the girls at the agency a little better, to find out their back stories and what brought them to Miss Stephanie.
Miss Stephanie is the ultimate business woman, nurturing her girls to always show their best sides and present themselves as top dollar – so she can make top dollar. She is very difficult to say no to which leaves Miranda taking jobs she otherwise wouldn’t.
Miranda has always been very good at keeping her emotions out of her working life but Buying Thyme sees the lines starting to blur, with more than one of her clients. This is where we start to see things get interesting.
Miranda is used to the men in her life paying for the privilege, and often allowing their emotions to blur the lines so Miranda has a quick wit and is always on hand with an off the cuff reminder of the way things are between them. Her first client is the American stuntman Michael, only in town for a couple of months and only making one appearance.+
Joe Tench is an interesting client, one who is shrouded in mystery for much of the novel. He is rumoured to be heavily involved in the criminal underground but nothing has ever been said to Miranda for sure. He is certainly not short of a dollar, booking her for a weekend before she takes some time off and then booking her for an entire month when she returns to work.
Tom Smythe is a new client who insists on booking Miranda for the night just before her time off. He is the heir to a mining magnate recently returned widowed and returned from overseas. He is intriguing and charismatic in a completely different way and he is only paying for company which only makes Miranda want him more.
There were times in this book that I was really disappointed in Miranda and her actions, and it had nothing to do with her profession. I can understand why she was doing what she was doing but sometimes I just wanted to shake her.
A personal tragedy sends Miranda off on a new journey of discovery that is sure to change everything, and this is where things got really interesting.
Hamilton takes us on a steamy and seedy ride fraught with danger and deception where no-one is really who they seem and she leaves us desperate to know what’s in store for Miss Miranda next.
20 of our lucky readers are going to be reading Buying Thyme as well so please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below. Personally, I can not wait to hear what they think.
Buying Thyme (Harlequin MIRA) is available for purchase at Harlequin or at all good book stores nationally for RRP $24.99/ eRRP $17.99
T.J. Hamilton can be found on her Website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
Thank you for the opportunity to read Buying Thyme. I was drawn to read this from the excellent reviews on Goodreads.com and it is different to the sort of books I usually read.
For me, it started off a little cringe worthy, in a Bridget Jones meets 50 Shades of Grey kind of way. I knew it would have that sort of content, however, I think a little to much and it wasn’t all entirely necessary to the storyline. Having said that, it got better for me towards the end as the story got more interesting and had more depth.
Overall, it was an easy read and got more interesting to me towards the end. I will keep an eye out for the next book as I’m curious to see where it goes.
What a fascinating and enthralling read about Sydney’s seedy adult entertainment underworld. Such a revealing insight into the depraved world of Prostitution. The characters seemed so surreal and at times frightening. The book gave a unique look at the life of a young woman Miranda who chose the oldest profession in the world to make a quick buck. Was it all worth it, that’s the million dollar question. The “mobster” Joe Trench shows a morbid interest in her and her services but is a cruel and calculating man who wants to take total control of Miranda. This book was a fascinating read which I found hard to put down. It is full of action and emotion that left me totally wanting more. A great read.