Review: Got my Roman fix, ha...and great continuation of the series!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 24, 2013
I really love this series, such a cool combination of kink, depth of character and interesting arcs and growth that don't follow the predictable and more "fantasy-driven," happily-ever-after type patterns. At the same time, it never feels cynical or depressing, and there is a lot of heart in the different people, and the sense of real love between them. I'm realizing lately, as I read a broader range of books and types of writing and author voices, that there are some writers who have this "thing" where a book and the characters and the world they inhabit have a kind of presence to them, which makes the story feel much more real and imparts a kind of maturity to the work and its world. Unfortunately, this quality, I'm realizing, is fairly rare...but when I find it, it almost doesn't matter what kind of book it is, or what style of writing apart from that feeling that this world is real, and the people have something real behind them. Everything I've read by SM Johnson has that quality, and it makes me want to revisit her characters again and again, whether vampires or real(ish) people.In that vein, this is a great continuation of the story arcs revolving around Roman, Jeff, Vanessa and Dare. Roman and Jeff have moved to Minnesota, and are adjusting to a life complicated by Vanessa's pregnancy with Roman's child, Jeff's recovery from his traumatic, near-death accident, Roman and Jeff's never having fully resolved the issues that got between them when Dare was a part of the picture, and the transition from a more urban BDSM scene in New York to a smaller and quirkier (in some ways) one in Minnesota. In addition, Roman has a new submissive, and he and Jeff kind of work with him together, a new experience for both them and their relationship. Meanwhile, Dare is missing certain aspects and dynamics of his relationship with Roman, back in New York, and as a part of that, he and his new boyfriend, Zach, run into Thomas, (who made a very, very hot appearance with Roman in the Dungeon in book 2), which I didn't see coming at all, and is making me very happy about the possibilities for book four! I don't want to give anything away, but the story remained totally fresh and the twists both believable and unexpected. I liked the character growth in Roman, and especially in Jeff in this book (Jeff having probably been the character I could relate to the least in a lot of ways, in the previous two books). I also felt like I got a much better handle on Vanessa as a character too, and the complexity of her relationship with her best friend, Jeff, especially.Great continuation of the series, and some fun introductions to the people in the BDSM scene in their corner of Minnesota, too, which should be interesting to see develop. Looking forward to the next book to see where things go next!