The Barter System by Shayne McClendon

Some people will go to great lengths to get their research.

About the Story

Riya O'Connell requests applications from men around the country willing to participate in the research she needs for her dissertation on Male Sexuality. She narrows down her thousands of submissions to eight men. In return, Riya will give them...whatever they want.

As her project progresses, Riya realizes she's chosen the eight men in the country who would love her well and that she could easily love in return. She leaves subject after subject with a small piece of her heart.

Ultimately, Riya discovers where she truly belongs...and gets an education she didn't plan on. 

"The people who loved and cared about her would have at least a thousand questions and even more warnings. Therefore, they knew what she could tell them and no more. They thought she'd be visiting college campuses across the country, studying the sexual habits of young men coming into adulthood."

That quote from the book pretty much sums up the synopsis which I will say I absolutely loved the concept and beginning of this book! I was so excited when I started and did like it a lot. So obviously Riya wasn't going to study the sexual habits, but partake in them. A lot. She was working on her dissertation and had been abstinent for THREE years. So she came up with a little idea to well, from what I gather, sleep with men of varying ages, race, circumstances. I didn't get exactly WHY she was doing it but from what I gather, it was to show that men are not as unaffected by sex as we are all led to believe. The premise was they would pay her way while she was with them and they would get her to her next destination and well in exchange, have sex with them.

So far, great concept. When she met the first man (she selected the men from applications to her blog which had over 13,000 applications received-this will come into play for a point I will make later) I was so nervous for her. But of course, it went wonderfully. He was a great guy, with a beautiful huge penis, who loved to give oral sex, and brought her to climax multiple times each and every time they had sex, and shared all their feelings with her. Soooooo, before she leaves she plays matchmaker for him and hooks him up with his secretary (again will come into play later). Interesting idea, great story line, hot hot sex scenes. It cannot possibly go that well with all the rest, right? WRONG. Here is where I started to want to pull my hair out, one at a time. EVERY single guy was just as well hung, and beautiful, and gave her multiple orgasms, and told her all their feelings, and thought she was so great and wonderful and tight (even the last guy after having what six or seven partners in so many weeks and sex at least 300 times in said weeks), and she set them up. It was like reading the SAME scene SIX times. Things were so unrealistic that I literally found myself chuckling. I just don't understand how she can be so sexual with ALL of these men and had only had 2 sexual partners previously that did nothing for her. I am going to attach a blog post at the end that I feel the author was very guilty of numerous faux paus that were mentioned on this list. But it doesn't even begin to cover them all. Oh, and I forgot, EVERY one she was with KNEW exactly where her G-spot was. I mean, I need to start a blog and get some applications like the ones from these guys, seriously!

The book did get better (although not any more realistic) at the end when we came to the completion of her study. She found what made her happy and that made me happy. So about the 13,000 applications. Okay she knew she got that many. So when somebody recognized her and knew it was her blog, she acted like she didn't know anyone read it. Okay, obviously at least 13,000 people have. I just, just, just, couldn't stop giggling and shaking my head at the absurdity of this book. But, kudos to the author on the sex scenes. They were hot and steamy although quite repetitive.