Review: Wow.  Best of the Series.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 1, 2014
I first have to say that this series so far has given me solid 3.5 to 4.5 stars. But Bonds of Denial brought finally brought me to a 5 star rating. Unlike the prior four installments, this does not have any BDSM or D/s role playing. This is simply a beautifully told love story between two very worthy characters that have been part of the amazing cast in this series.Rock has been the strong silent guy throughout this series. He is ex-military and a wiz when it comes to hacking. But beyond that we’ve never seen anything but a hard exterior of a man. But then the cracks start to show. For a year Rock’s been watching this guest waltz through the doors of The Den, once per month he follows him through the lens of a security camera. Watching him. Wanting Him.Carter is an escort, (We meet him briefly during Tyler, Seth & Allie’s story); his job is having sex with men for money and being what every their fantasy might be. He’s good at his job and he’s never felt remorse or shame for what he does. When he gets the call with a new client, Carter isn’t sure what to expect. He has a list of regulars that he is comfortable with, but this man won’t accept anyone else but him.Rock has spent thirty-four years denying who he is. But there is something about Carter that he can’t let go of. For the first time in years he wants to pursue a lover, a man. But giving in to his desire just remind him of the shame he feels, wanting something he shouldn’t.This is a beautifully told story of two men falling in love and finding strength to believe in themselves, to love themselves for the first time in as long as they can remember. I can’t put myself into the shoes of someone that struggles to accept their sexuality to know if how this book portrayed Rock’s pain is accurate. I can assume that each person carries it in their own way, but what I do know is that the way Lynda Aicher told this story made my heart break the weight he carried.I went into this thinking that Rock was going to be this dominating force of a man and was so taken by surprise by how adorable he was. Although he had been a grown man, a man that went to war for his country, he was still so innocent when it came to the simple act of falling in love and being loved. Every little moment of pure bliss he felt shined through this story in a way that just made me smile.Carter was unexpected. I figured his line of work would lead to some self-worth issues, especially given the story that we had already seen with Tyler. But the strength that he displayed so easily at the start of this story was heartbreaking to watch shatter once he realized that he had something worth wanting. Something he didn’t want to lose.I anticipated some high moments of drama and was nearly on pins and needles just waiting for the other shoe to drop. What I didn’t expect is that the moment would be the pure buildup of the story being told. It was executed perfectly and fit with the story. Any drama would have added something to the story, but the pivotal moment was the story. It’s one of those things that can’t be explained because trying to would give away just what that moment was, so I’ll just say that it was perfect.I absolutely loved this book and these two men. I anticipated a steamy m/m romance that had two alpha males going head to head but got so much more than that.