Description
Natalie, a young art student in New York City, is struggling to pay her bills when a friend makes a suggestion: Why not go online and find a sugar daddy—a wealthy, older man who will pay her for dates and even give her a monthly allowance? Lots of girls do it, Nat learns. All that’s required is to look pretty and hang on his every word. Sexual favors are optional.
Though more than thirty years her senior, Gabe, a handsome corporate finance attorney, seems like the perfect candidate, and within a month, they are madly in love. At least, Nat is…Gabe already has a family, whom he has no intention of leaving.
So when he abruptly ends things, Nat can’t let go. But Gabe’s not about to let his sugar baby destroy his perfect life. What was supposed to be a mutually beneficial arrangement devolves into a nightmare of deception, obsession, and, when a body is found near Gabe’s posh Upper East Side apartment, murder.
Emotionally powerful and packed with page-turning suspense, The Arrangement delves into the sordid, all-too-real world of shadowy relationships between wealthy, powerful men and the young women who are caught in their web.
DIANE PATTERSON –
PACKED WITH PAGE-TURNING SUSPENSENatalie is a 21 year old art student from a small town in the Pacific Northwest. She’s living in NYC & sharing an apartment with 2 other girls. She’s working part-time in a bar. But, she’s always short on cash, hates her cramped bedroom, her long commute to school & her judgmental roommates.She meets Ava who comes from a working-class family but lives in a pricey penthouse. She’s willing to trade sex for money, trinkets & tropical holidays. She’s a sugar baby. She dates rich successful men. They set up an arrangement. Ava & her suitors are up front about their needs, their wants, their parameters. How often they’ll see each other. What they’ll do together. How much money she’ll get each month. Could Natalie take a rich man’s money in exchange for her time & attention? Or would she feel dirty, sick & ashamed?Ava helps Natalie set up a dating profile. Just a couple of dates would get her out of debt. She has rent & tuition to pay. She meets up with Gabe at a wine bar. His profile indicates he’s divorced (a lie), a non-smoker, a social drinker and a lawyer whose annual salary is over a million. What Natalie doesn’t know is that he’s capable of anything to protect his wife, his daughter & his good name. He knows people who make problems go away.He’s an attractive, virile 55 year old man who just made partner at his Wall Street firm. He has a full head of gray hair, a strong jawline, and gorgeous blue eyes. This powerful man, in his expensive suit & his fancy watch looks at her with such interest. It was supposed to be one drink, one hour, five hundred dollars. Instead, she’d gotten blackout drunk. But, he still paid her & gave her a ride home in his chauffeur driven town car. The date had been a disaster, leaving her embarrassed & ashamed. But, Gabe likes her. He likes the way she looks at him with gratitude & respect. His wife & daughter do not look at him that way. They see each other again & again. They flirt, laugh & have fun. She tells this virtual stranger about her father’s abandonment, her stepfather’s resentment & her ex-boyfriend’s creepy obsession.Natalie never thought she could be physically attracted to an older man. But, she enjoys kissing him so much that she allowed him to lead her to his bedroom. That night had felt so romantic, so special, so meaningful – until he handed her the money. It cheapened what they shared. It made her feel like a prostitute. But, if she thinks of it as a gift, a token of his affection, she feels better about it. He’s charming & attentive. She’s falling in love with him.They set up an official arrangement. In exchange for a generous allowance, they’ll be together a couple of times a week. She can’t see any downside to it. She enjoys spending time with him. She loves the way he looks at her, touches her, spoils her. All of her financial worries would be eliminated with this arrangement. But, she has to face the truth. Gabe is paying her to be there when he wants her & to go away when he doesn’t. It feels so demeaning.Her roommates kick her out, when they find out about her lifestyle. She had hoped Gabe would invite her to stay with him. She longs to become a permanent part of his life; his live-in girlfriend. He views her as a sex partner, a companion. She makes him feel young & sexy. But, he’s not about to end his 29 year marriage to be with a 21 year old sugar baby.He made her believe he was single & available; that he truly cared for her. Then, he abruptly cut her off physically, emotionally & financially. She doesn’t have the maturity to handle it. She becomes needy, clingy, a stalker. But, would she kill him when it all turned sour?
suzanne tencellent –
Suspenseful and entertainingMy daughter recommended this book and at first I was hesitant but in the end I enjoyed the book and would recommend
AB1501 –
The psychotic world of a Sugar Daddy and his Sugar BabyI don’t even know where to start with this one, so I’ll begin by saying this book is a good, solid, twisty-turny read. Although I did figure out who did it, the ride along the way had me gasping at the psychotic behavior of both Gabe and Natalie. I was so conflicted about my own feelings for these two. I liked them, hated them, and in the end pitied them. Neither deserved what each got, but what they got they earned, and their comeuppance came about due to the choices they made, and their bat🤬 crazy toxic behavior towards each other and the people in their lives.There is no HEA, but the story is nicely tied up, and the two wronged women left standing from Gabe’s life are left with the possibility to move on, and be whole again.This is the first book I’ve read by this author, and it won’t be my last. I was drawn in by her ability to weave a satisfying suspense with compelling characters that aren’t necessarily likable, but are definite train wrecks that you can’t help but gawk at and judge. If you’ve lived long enough you’ve known or know people like Gabe and Natalie. And that’s the best part of the book, besides the suspense, both Gabe and Natalie walk among us in the real world. We know or have known people like these two characters; narcissistic psychopaths who destroy others, each other, and ultimately themselves with their toxic behavior. These two exist in real life, somewhere out there they exist, and the author taps into this making the characters more compelling, and a bit scary.Robyn Harding is a talented writer who does her research, and she delivered with The Arrangement.I coupled the book with audio, and the narration was a plus. I recommend adding the audiobook.
R. Taylor –
engaging readWhile the story line may seem predictable at first, it’s engaging and interesting with an unexpected ending. I enjoyed the book.
Sharon –
A solid read.3 1/2 stars I have had this book on my shelf for a couple years and since I am trying to read some of the older books I have, finally picked this up :)Natalie (Nat) is a 21 year old art student living in NYC. She is struggling to pay her bills when a friend introduces her to the world of being a sugar baby. Nat reluctantly signs up on the website and meets Gabe, a handsome fifty year old lawyer. What starts out as an agreed upon arrangement, soon turn to love for Nat. And when Gabe suddenly end things, Nat cannot let him go. She stalks him and befriends his daughter. Gabe is not about to let Nat ruin his live. What was supposed to be a no strings attached agreement soon turn into murder.I did not like any of the characters in the book. Nat started out as sympathetic, but then turned into a psycho LOL Gabe was just an unlikeable character from the beginning. But even though they were unlikable they were still well written.When the story open Nat is calling her estranged father from jail because she killed someone. And then the story jumps back in time to when Nat first meets Gabe. I was hooked right from the start and couldn’t wait to find out who was murdered and if in fact Nat did it.I did figure a couple of things out, but like the twists at the end. I also liked the fact that at the end of the book Robyn Harding said that she interviewed some sugar babies to get the take on what it was like and the reasons for why they do what they do.All in all a solid read.
Darby30 –
Good BookI bought this based on the reviews. It’s a fast, easy read and although I figured out the ending I did enjoy reading the book. The main character is likeable and I will admit while on vacation I couldn’t put the book down… I also bought and read it ends with us, and thought this book The arrangement is much better. If you’re looking for a fun, summer read with a little bit of darkness this is it!!
Lisa –
I can’t put it down!So, I’m going to preface this by saying I’m in a horrid emotional state. I recently lost my mother figure and I’m going through an existential quarter-life crisis. I really don’t want to do anything but cry myself to sleep, mainly because I haven’t the energy to walk myself into the nearest ocean (nor the sense of direction to locate it). That said, I bought myself this book to take my mind off my own sadness and emptiness, and I have to say, it’s doing the trick! I just started it last night and I’m just about done (I stayed up all night reading while listening to a fake thunderstorm on my headphones)—I NEED/WANT to finish it (and I’m going to within the next 2 hours), but I’ll sure be sad when it’s over. It’s probably not for everyone and it may not go down as the most significant piece of literature of our time, but it’s JUST what I needed! Robyn Harding, you’ve got yourself a new fan!
lenzetta –
Very good bookI thought the book was very good, at the end though I wish it gave more insight on the two people that were effected most.
MiSha B –
Good readThis is a good read. Starts off sorta slow but definitely picks up and keeps you interested in finding out what will happen next
Macaria81 –
Easy Beach ReadFast paced and interesting . The ending was a little unbelievable but I still loved the story. It’s a great book.