Review: Nice prequel to an already-written series; FREE at other locations.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 10, 2013
Just a note that the author intended this book to be free, but had a hard time doing that on Amazon.  So it is not free at the time I write this review.  You can get it free at Smashwords and Allromanceebooks.This short story starts with the first meeting between Steve and Zack and goes up to the time of Zack settling into a D/s relationship with Steve.  Some characters from the later books (Rich, Peter, Tyler) make appearances.Since this prequel was written after the first three books in the series (Action, Cutaway, That's a Wrap), Liz Borino had the challenge of incorporating all the elements of the start of the relationship already mentioned in the later books into this story. I was very impressed with the way the author managed to take all the tidbits mentioned about the men's history and early relationship that occurred in the later three books and retroactively combine them into this short story - it can't have been an easy task. As someone who has read the whole series, I really appreciate it.While it makes for good continuity with the rest of the series, at the same time, I can see how some of the things that happen (and have to happen to be consistent) may not necessarily make the book feel complete to new readers. First-time readers may be slightly confused or disappointed by open plot threads (Rich) and unanswered questions (Zack's past).  Just pick up the next book (Action) and those questions will get answered.  Action includes more romance, sex, drama, a bad guy, angst, and more insight into how the D/s relationship has developed over the course of 3 years.Overall, a nice sweet romance about the beginning of a M/M relationship.  Most of the drama is emotional, as each man grapples with what he wants and is ready for, and the inexperienced Zack has to deal with not only entering his first relationship, but whether he wants to be a submissive as well.