Review: A Good Read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 04 27, 2013
All-American boy, Evan, is late losing his virginity as captain of every high school sport, but quickly discovers an interest and overwhelming pull towards the darker side of sex.  He spends much of his young adult life, into his thirties, either full on BDSM Dom/Sub or a self-imposed celibate.  The trauma associated with losing his twin sister finally sends him into a tailspin, and he once again pulls away from his BDSM lifestyle and focuses on his new-found career as a brewery owner (it's a Liz Crowe book...there must be beer!).  Poor-turned-instantly-wealthy Julie grows up with a mother who is constantly trying to find the man of her dreams, with the pocketbook that matches, and whose parenting mantra is, "do as I say, not as I do."  Her stepfather's mantra, "You owe me," which is the start of Julie's fall into mistrust of men, and learning how to gain the advantage through sex.  Until Evan and Julie meet, and sparks fly.  Evan is persistent in making Julie his submissive, and after seeing (or feeling) the advantages of the arrangement, opens herself up to him, and they fall in love.  The two go through a series of ups and down through their relationship, all centered around their trust issues.  When things finally look towards "happily ever after," the man that ruined Evan's twin sister, and caused her death, resurfaces and sets his sights on destroying Evan through Julie.This is not your mother's "Fifty Shades," as it dives into the deep, lusty pool of BDSM, and the underground clubs associated with the lifestyle.  The book is broken into different parts, starting with Evan's life, switching to Julie's life, and then ending with their lives together.  Similarly, the book introduces the reader to BDSM full on in the first part (read that as - there is a ton of sex scenes), then tapers off a bit in the middle, and then ramps it back up at the end.  It was a very compelling story, and there were parts that really tore at my heart.  The immense amount of sex throughout the book was distracting, and sometimes felt like overkill.  I was a bit surprised that it was not in the erotica category.  Overall, a good read, and I enjoyed watching the transformation from the Dom/Sub relationship into a "normal" relationship built on the trust and love they had developed over the years.This review is also posted on [...]