Review: Emotional and wonderful
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 17, 2013
Every so often a book comes my way that completely floors me and takes my breath away. This particular author has managed to steal my breath not once, but twice now. If you have not read "Becoming His Slave" by Talon P.S. and you are a fan of BDSM, you are missing a phenomenal read. Following quickly on its heels is "A Place for Cliff"; a story about a young man who is torn between his duty as a brother, and his need to be loved. Cliff was introduced in "Becoming His Slave" as a wanna be Dom who couldn't quite gain the upper hand. Forced to fight his way to the top and failing miserably at proving his dominance, he was not quite sure where his place was and often set his sights too high. When Patronus Diesel Gentry suggests Cliff visit with a counselor named Pyotr, he is hesitant but does as he is told. As he debates on whether or not to set foot inside the office, he is not prepared for the beautiful man that appears before him.Pyotr had been given the basics about Cliff's situation and knew that he had his work cut out for him. The moment he saw Cliff pacing outside his door, he realized that fixing the broken man would be no easy task. Cliff was hurting and Pyotr knew he would have to completely break him down before he could put him back together again. He just didn't realize how involved he would become. As he established the parameters of their sessions and learns about Cliff's situation, he realizes that Cliff's life has been a difficult one. After finding out his sister had Lukemia and then being abandoned by their parents, Cliff was left to raise his sister on his own and do anything he could to pay for her medical bills. Young, alone, and desperate, Cliff took control of his sister's care and from that day on forgot about himself. Pyotr set to task trying to teach Cliff to talk about himself and to not be afraid to ask for what he needs. When Cliff finally admits that what he needs is Pyotr, the two set out on an emotional journey that is more touching than I can describe. While many describe a woman discovering herself as that of a flower opening it's petals for the first time, Cliff's self discovery can only be compared to a phoenix, broken down and burned to ash only to be raised from the dust and born again as a new creature ready to take on the world. As Pyotr teaches Cliff to love who he truly is, Cliff learns to embrace his submissive nature and to not be ashamed of his love for the man who saved him.Pyotr has some issues of his own to deal with. A born caretaker, he has a large family that he raised on his own due to his parents being left behind during difficult times in his homeland. Dealing with adversity, and the responsibility of taking care of his brothers and sisters, Pyotr never took a lover for himself and finds that he is conflicted now that he has found a man that he wants to spend his life with. His family is not completely on board and Cliff has a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. For their relationship to work Cliff will have to deal with his sister's prognosis, Pyotr will have to deal with his family, and the two of them will have to get through some of their most difficult decisions together.Never have I seen a relationship between two men as gripping as this one. I found myself curious and even annoyed with Cliff in the first book of this series, and when the reasons behind Cliff's behavior were revealed, I found myself embarrassed that I questioned his actions. He is so torn and so damaged from his parents leaving him and watching his sister go through the pain and suffering of having Lukemia. Suffering himself with bone marrow donations and working long hours as a paramedic, Cliff's only outlet was the BDSM club he frequented when he had time. What made me sad was that he never found his place at the club or anywhere else because he was looking for the wrong thing. Thinking he would feel complete as a Dom, it was not until Pyotr came into his life that Cliff realized it was time to let someone else make the decisions. When Cliff finally lets go, Pyotr is there to catch him and the two of them together a beautiful. There is no other way to put it. My heart wept for these two beautiful men and the love they share between them. Yes there is amazing sex both tender and heart pounding, but this story is so much more. It is an awakening of the soul and how sometimes the best way to show strength is to allow ourselves to be weak in front of others. A Place for Cliff, exemplifies love in a way that is nothing less than awe inspiring (just keep the tissues handy).Review copy provided for an honest review.