Review: Not as good as the first one
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 05 21, 2014
The good aspects of the first book remains in this one: the writing is pretty tight, the characters consistent, the cast of supporting characters is diverse. It's nice to read a BDSM-ish title that isn't all about what goes on in the bedroom (or playroom, or dungeon, or whatever). There is an emotional side to this story that I appreciate.What I found less good? I have a few pet peeves and one of them is when adult people (men or women) giggle. I'm not categorically opposed to it: I'm happy for an author to have his or her characters giggle if they're stoned, or if they're drunk, or if they're at a funeral and it's hiddeously inappropriate. I like giggling as an out-of-character thing, I suppose. What I don't like is when adults are habitually giggling. When Alex and Peter are repeatedly giggling in this book, it just makes me think of them - not as men in their mid-20's - but as quirky pets or would-be schoolgirls. It's something I see in (particularly BDSM-themed) books sometimes: the sub/younger man becomes childlike and demasculinised as soon as his relationship to a Dom/older man is established. Peter treads dangerously close to that edge anyway in that he's (for good reason, but still) skittish like an animal.I was glad to see Thomas get his own book and it was nice to read about a character in his mid-50's for a change. I'm pretty tired of books where "the older man" is in his early 30's, so I liked Thomas for his age alone. On the whole though, this book didn't really grab me and I found the storyline a little over the top. I'd recommend it to anyone who's read the first book and enjoyed it though.