Review: 3 stars = I liked it and it was a GOOD read
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
When I read the blurb for Awakening, I was really excited for the opportunity to read it. I've read a couple of other books in which the h made contact with a club or Dom for the purpose of a research project, met the H, was profoundly affected by him & agreed to allow him to teach her about BDSM. While admittedly I read the book with a slight set of expectations, I enjoyed it, I just didn't love it.I was well into the book before I realized why I wasn't loving Awakening. I found Will's Dom nature to be lacking ... he just wasn't Dom enough for me. When it comes to Doms, I’m a reader of Cherise Sinclair, Lexi Blake, and Erica Chilson (just to name a few of my favorites), so I’m used to a much stronger Dom personality. Will just didn’t project the strength I’ve come to expect from a Dom. Also, his constant concern about the age difference annoyed me after a while. It was a nine year difference, but you would have thought it was much greater than the way Will carried on. I understand that Vanessa is only 22, but 31 is not that old! You would have thought Will was getting close to signing up for Social Security the way he kept harping about his age.I would like to note that there was surprisingly little sex in the book considering the subject matter, especially as Will was helping Vanessa discover her inner-submissive. Yes, there is a major incident that prevents sexual activity for a month or so, but I feel it should be noted. As I have read excerpts from some of Ms. Carr’s M/M books (I haven’t had the pleasure of reading one yet), I know she can write REALLY HOT sex scenes, but the sex scenes between Vanessa and Will are nowhere near the level of heat that I know she is capable of writing; I’m not saying the sex scenes are bad, just that I’ve read better by her.Although it may sound like I didn’t enjoy Awakening, I did. In fact, once I got past my issues with Will and accepted him as he was, I got caught up in my reading and suddenly it was over – it left me wanting more. Ms. Carr has crafted a well written novel and I will be reading more of her work - especially if she writes a sequel because I would like to read more about Rod.I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.Reviewed by Angela at Crystal's Many Reviewers!