Publisher:
Changeling
Press LLC
Published: April 10, 2014
BIN: 06911 02226
Genre: Erotic Romance, Novella, M/M,
BDSM
Book
Format: E-book
Obtained
via: Publisher
Reviewed
by: Helena Stone, helenastone63@gmail.com
Rating:
3+
Ian’s
life is okay. He lives in a small town where he has a bartending job, working
for his very much in the closet and not overly committed boyfriend, Calvin. Ian
knows something is missing from his relationship. He needs something more than
Calvin is willing or able to give him even if he can’t quite name what that
might be. When Calvin’s sister arrives in town he cuts off all contact with Ian
to keep his gay secret safe.
Ezra
was attracted to Ian when they were in high school together but never acted on
his feelings, something he’s regretted ever since. When he and the theatre
group he works with arrive in town he his delighted to meet Ian again and
wastes no time claiming the man he allowed to get away once.
Now
Ian faces a choice. Stay in his boring but save and predictable life with the
boyfriend who will never be ready to commit to him or take a risk while making
all his dreams and sexy fantasies come true with Ezra.
This
was a fun little novella. Not a book that took my breath away or made me think
but an enjoyable read about nice characters. We watch Ian as he spend the night
with his commitment phobic boss and boyfriend Calvin in what is, for Ian at
least, a not all together satisfying encounter.
Meeting
Ezra again is a shock. From the moment Ian sets eyes on the man he used to go
to school with he knows there is more to Ezra, a dangerous edge that excites as
well as scares Ian. Giving in to the attraction and Ezra’s domination brings
Ian an experience he’s only dreamed about in the past and leaves him yearning
for more while scared to put his safe but boring life on the line for an
unpredictable future.
I
liked the character of Ezra. He’s both edgy and caring; a Dom determined to
push Ian’s limits while making sure the man he’s been attracted to for so long
is okay. I was less fond of Ian. He
seemed a bit wishy-washy, reluctant to make decisions for himself. I wasn’t
entirely happy about Ian’s apparent double standard either; he resents Calvin
for dropping him the moment he has family visiting because he doesn’t want to
admit to being gay but hasn’t come out himself either. He doesn’t leave Calvin
because the man won’t commit, or because the man can’t and won’t give him what
he needs but because his boss and boyfriend loses the plot with him. While it
was clear that being with Ezra gave Ian what he needed and that his feelings
for Ezra were much stronger than the ones he had for Calvin, it seemed that Ian
left with Ezra because he didn’t have another choice rather than because he
wanted to.
The
whole story is told from Ian’s point of view and in his voice and I couldn’t
help feeling the language seems a bit childish for the topic. On the one hand
Ian seemed to know about BDSM and what was expected of him while he seemed
almost completely ignorant at the same time. That confused me a bit.
I’m
not entirely sure if I would call this a BDSM story. Sure, Ian calls Ezra ‘Sir’
when they’re in the zone and Ezra is very much in control of their encounters
and Ian’s ultimate satisfaction but it still felt more like kink, a form of
role play, to me than the start of a D/s relationship.
Having
said that, I did enjoy reading this story and got engrossed in all the physical
and emotional turmoil Ezra throws Ian into. And I loved that the author gave us
a glimpse of their life together, eight months later.
This
novella wasn’t quite as deep or soul-searching as I’d hoped from the
description but it did give me about an hour’s worth of very pleasant and at
times very hot reading.
This is an objective review
and not an endorsement of this book.
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