Review: Sexy and Enjoyable
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 16, 2014
Sexy, compelling story that bears some resemblance to Fifty Shades of Grey--super-hot twenty-something billionaire-dom and his much more modest-in-every-way sub/love--but actually feels believable. It helps that Ethan and David like a lot of real-world couples start off as best friends in college. That gives them a strong stake in each others' welfare that would credibly transcend the money/status differences that make Fifty Shades feel like such a crude wish-fulfillment.Not that wish-fulfillment is absent here, but it's more thoughtful. The "Trap" scenario is a fascinating exploration of why readers like non-con in fantasy. The hero is kidnapped by the person he has secretly desired for years but was too ashamed and scared to pursue, and then forced to get over his inhibitions and fear to experience mind-boggling pleasure. I liked the characters and found their conversations insightful and moving. (And very funny on the topic of David's love of ABBA). My main reservation was with the last quarter of the story. I'll avoid spoilers but I thought David's choices were the kind you see a lot in romance novels and almost never in real life.Overall, I really enjoyed it, and if I have to have a gorgeous billionaire hero, I'll take Ethan Locke over any of his fictional competitors any day of the week.