Kindle Edition Download from Smashwords (eBook) Amazon Charles O'Donnell, Author Category:  Action/Thriller Publisher: Charles O'Donnell Type: Fiction Pages: 412 Copyright: Dec 21, 2012 Price: $3.99 (eBook) Matt Bugatti is caught in a network of manipulation and intrigue. Who does he trust in a world where no one is who they seem? Being a genius can get you killed. Matt Bugatti has cracked the Internet's most secure code. Now the NSA and Chinese spies will stop at nothing to learn his secret. Unaware of the danger, Matt meets glamorous Gina, a woman with a secret of her own. Life is good - until the conflict comes to a head and Matt finds himself threatened and alone. Then Matt discovers Gina's secret and his world turns upside-down. Pursued by two nations, running for his life, Matt takes control - and learns who he can trust in a world where no one is who they seem. Excerpt Anson gestured as he spoke, with his wide, pale palms facing upward. “Jon, you think Matt’s this cool, calculating wonder boy, but he’s got another side to him. His family is first generation Italian, very traditional, very old school. If it was just his mama putting the arm on him to get married and make babies he could handle it. But that’s not just what his mother wants. It’s what he wants. He goes on and on about his home life, or lack thereof, and how this place is eating him alive. His love life is the shits, so he throws himself into his work. Then he spends all his time at his keyboard instead of the Knights of Columbus mixer meeting a nice Italian girl. It’s a vicious circle.” “That doesn’t sound like a huge concern to me. Is it affecting his work?” Anson grinned again. “Yeah, it’s affecting his work—for the better. He’s channeling all that sexual tension into his programming. I think we owe this breakthrough to a severe bout of horniness.” “So there’s no problem, right? Matt keeps working and we hit our goal.” Anson shook his head. “Jesus Christ, Jon. Were you ever young? How long do you think Matt can keep that up? Sure, he’s making history right now, but if he doesn’t get laid soon he’s going to snap.”

Fast paced high tech fun espionage read
One of the things I like about commuting on the bus to work is the chance to get about 60 to 90 minutes a day to read. Usually I can finish a 300 page book in a week with a little lunch time browse thrown in. On vacation, it's sometimes difficult to find the time with all the home catch-up chores and holiday bustle, to crack the cover on anything. But I did manage to finish the first book of the Ted Dekker, "The Martyr's Song" series before Christmas dinner and was anxious to try out my new Kindle Paperwhite.

Having downloaded "The Girlfriend Experience" by Charles "Gus" O'Donnell, just a few days before, I started in after dinner and was hooked! Having been part of the technology world myself, it was easy to relate to the story and agonies that were felt by Matt, Jon, Eric, and Kathy at Connectrix Corp. But this is not just a techy story about meeting schedules and making personal sacrifices just to get the product out... although present, it is also a story about people, relationships, and how far they will go to get what they want. It's a story that unveils the protagonist as someone with more than a PhD that is good with numbers, it is also a fun book that builds slowly and then churns into a fast-paced, action, espionage caper that has one stealing away to take in "just a few more pages". So, even on vacation, I was able to breeze through "The Girlfriend Experience" in just under a week. Bedtime reading usually puts me to sleep but with 'TGE' I had to force myself to stop. It almost reads like a movie script, which it very well could be at some point. (PG-13 for language and some sexual innuendo) One of the great things about reading versus watching movies is the opportunity to use your imagination to form your own picture story. 'TGE' leaves the reader, room to 'imagine' some of the physical aspects of the characters. Some readers may need to have more details where 'TGE' lets you fill in the character of Matt, with perhaps a Bill Gates character or Gina, with Kelly LaBrock (thinking "Weird Science" days). In either case, I'm sure you will find 'The Girlfriend Experience' a fast, fun-filled read that will leave you looking forward to the sequel or next book from O'Donnell.
Cheers
- Franc Woods

Excellent high tech thriller
I wasn't too sure what to expect from the title but the high tech twists and turns kept me interested page after page. The girlfriend part is probably not what you are expecting. I read a lot of Jeffery Deaver and the writing quality is similar. Charles not only tells a great story but educates us on the Chinese culture and language. He also weaves in a good bit of mathmatics theory and makes it easy to follow.
- Mike V.