Reading short review describing negotiations (5,7)
I believe the answer is:
horse trading
'negotiations' is the definition.
(I have seen 'tough negotiations' mean 'horse-trading' so perhaps 'negotiations' could also mean 'horse-trading')
'reading short review' is the wordplay.
'review' indicates an anagram.
'reading'+'short'='readingshort'
'readingshort' anagrammed gives 'HORSE-TRADING'.
'describing' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for horse trading that I've seen before include "Hard and shrewd bargaining" , "part of stable business?" , "Hard bargaining (at yearling sales?)" , "Ordering hats (anag) -- ordering quadrupeds?" .)