Review: a dark and passionate hero
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 5, 2012
It seems lately I've been reading a lot of gruff, even cruel heroes, and Theo is very much that kind of man. But he's also so much more than that. He is a complex character, very deep and dark, and he seems to come right off the page at you. He is dismissive and scornful of the heroine, Kelsey, at first. She even asks him, "Do you have some kind of syndrome that makes you act this way, or are you just a rude, socially inept a-hole?" I loved that line.I've never been one to like a woman who determinedly sniffs after a man. If he tells me to get lost, practically shoving me out the door, well, you don't have to tell me twice. But with Kelsey, Theo did have to tell twice, and then again, and in a very harsh way. And with Theo having just lost his aerial partner, Minya, his relunctance and anger towards the pushy Kelsey is understandable.Kelsey wants Theo in the worst way, to be his new partner sexually and also professionally. For all that Kelsey is young and naive in certain regards (she is 24 and Theo 34 and vastly more experienced in life and sex), she also has a resilience about her, a determination to get through to Theo, despite his harshness. Many times he makes her cry, and he has the nerve to admit- "I find tears very erotic... Especially when they come from such a strong person." I found that admission disturbing yet sexy; all of Theo's hardness and roughness appealed to me.If you in any way like rough sex and bdsm, you'll like this. The sheer physicality of the sex scenes packed a nice punch; I pictured every intense moment of his forcefulness with her, the hair fisting and pulling, the sense of coercion and forced submission, his rough treatment of her and his aggression-- I mean, he almost chokes her. All of this made for unbelievably intense sex.But don't get me wrong; Theo is definitely hard-edged and rough and rude, but he is much more than that. As the story progresses, the reader sees other sides to Theo, even tenderness and love. As for Kelsey, she moves beyond her fear of risk and failure, becoming a brave young woman who can hold her own. Even with the bdsm and sex club, Kelsey took a chance to explore her own sexual desires and her need to be sexually dominated. I really appreciated Kelsey's bravery.Along with the bdsm and rough sex, there is also a menage scene, public sex, and a bit of spanking and whipping. All of it hot and sexy. This story has angst, passion, and a depth and a darkness to it, but also a sweet romance as well, believe it or not. With the unusual love story and the unique setting, Cirque du Minuit is written in a vivid and real way, from the circus life and its performers to the sex club and the grand Lemaitre, but most of all, it's with Theo that we see the true vividness and color. Theo is more than black and white, more than good or bad, making for a hero you will remember.