Review: Fantastic!!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 3, 2013
*Edited rating and added to original review after re-reading June 2013*A very strong 4.75. I loved the story, the writing and the characters. So, why isn't it a 5, you ask? At 75% in the killer became too obvious, at least to me. Up until that point the mystery drama was amazing and had kept me riveted and so I was disappointed when I guessed the murderer. This, of course, is totally my opinion and 98% of the book absolutely thrilled me!Hands down this book by AJ Rose (a new author for me) is one of the best I've read yet in terms of BDSM and the lifestyle. I am not a member of the scene and thus it can be difficult, sometimes, for me to really get a good grasp onto thought patterns and behavioral styles. For example, I have no direct concept of what being in good subspace  in my head really means. That's where this author really blew me away. He wrote it in a way that allowed me to get a much better understanding of the true lifestyle than I have before.Gavin DeGrassi. Oh, I liked him. A lot. He was a real character, very relatable, with issues, concerns and problems that many, if not all, of us have had at one time or another. It was very easy to empathize with him over his nasty marriage, his dad's expectations, his arrogant partner and his hiding his sexuality and desires in the closet for years. It was fascinating to watch him discover a part of himself that he not only buried for years (being gay) but that he'd never really known about himself (being submissive).Ben Haverson. What wasn't there to adore? He was also a very real character although less relatable to me as I'm not in the lifestyle. In no way, however, did that detract from my enjoyment of him and his appeal. To be honest, I think I fell a little for his Dom! He's almost like the perfect partner - strong, but can admit to his weaknesses, steady, handsome, endearing, almost a little shy sometimes and very supportive and loving.I adored Gavin's brother, Cole, and his new partner, Myah, was incredible. You could totally relate to her issues as a woman in homicide and her acceptance of Gavin was wonderful!!I guess the best thing I can say about this book is that it was so realistic. The writing was crisp and clean, the characters were intriguing and the story kept you wanting more. It felt like home, if that's not too weird a thing to say.