Review: Great concept, just missing something...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 14, 2013
So after much pondering, here it is.2.75 starsReno is undeniably attracted to Dazed's lead singer Tanner Star. He fights his attraction, denies his sexual orientation and tries to stay away from Tanner's side. However, the pull of their attraction draws them together into a passionate affair filled with new experiences for Reno and an overwhelming mixture of lust, need and loyalty. Can Reno accept what Tanner offers him? Will Tanner's past come between them?I have to say that I loved the concept behind this story, however I felt that it lacked in its execution. At first I found the characters interesting, which is why I was drawn into the story in the first place, but as I kept reading their dialog and each character's point of view I found Reno and Tanner to be unrealistic. Their expectations from each other were not believable to me and I truly could not see how they could have built a relationship from the foundation they had established.In addition to this, I believe that that the author did not developed the BDSM factor of the relationship appropriately. Don't get me wrong, I am not an expert in Dom/sub relationships, but I have read A LOT of books about the subject and although there are different types of D/s relationships out there, I could not believe this pairing for what it was presented as. Yes, they were good together and their scenes were hot, but for me Tanner was no Master. It just did not come across the page as such.I enjoyed the overall conflict within Reno and his family. I also appreciated Reno's doubts and hesitations when he first came together with Tanner, I don't think I would have been comfortable with them being together otherwise. But I do admit that as the story progressed, I found his submission to Tanner superficial. His change of heart was too fast for me be believable and although he did have a need to submit I just didn't believe that he could give in that easily.Take Me, Break Me may not have been what I expected in regards to its characters and their BDSM relationship, but their chemistry and sex scenes were very good, which pleased me since it was what I was mainly looking for when I picked up this title.I received this title from Dreamspinner Press through Manic Readers in exchange of my honest opinion.