Review: Very Nice...Just A Couple Of Disconcerting Things Though...
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2012
To be honest, I pretty much shy away from any gladiator or Roman Empire stories for a few reasons.  One, I can't stand anything that reads like a history book; had too much of that in college, so now I hate anything even sounding like history.  Two, I can't stand too much gore and violence, and I know what the Roman's idea of entertainment was, and it was bloody.  And three, did I mention I hate history???  LOLWell, I'm happy to say, all of those fears were unfounded as far as this story goes.I had to read this story, because let's face it, all the reviews made it sound pretty hot.  And I definitely like that kind of heat.  ;)And for the most part, the bedroom scenes, most of them clandestine and in the Dominus's bedroom... Or on the way there....(Sometimes the two didn't quite make it to the bed)...Were  everything the other reviewers raved about.  BUT, I do feel I need to give a teeny tiny warning to new reader's.When I read I tend to get rapt in the story, so being that way, there were 3 minor aspects that I found a little disconcerting while I was reading.  The first was very minor.  The author's used words for objects in the story that weren't English!  I'm assuming they were Roman: ludus, subligars, strigil, palus, and various other words.  The perturbing part was that they were just thrown into the story like the reader should know what they meant.  All except when they used the word "strigil." Then they added a definition after the word- "a smooth, slightly curved stick."  Personally, I much prefer reading the story with the definitions thrown in.Hey, I did try to get the definitions out of my Kindle, but it drew a blank!  :)Oh... But wait... Then again, maybe all those definitions would make the story sound like a history book?Yuck...Did I mention I hate history?  Hehe*******MINOR SPOILER ALERT*****************And then there were those two little bedroom scenes near the beginning of the story that almost threw me off the story altogether.  They made me very, very afraid to finish the story.  I did, albeit, timorously, but I did.Keep in mind, prior to the point I'm mentioning, the author's had already gifted the reader with one full delicious love scene.  So, as I'm reading, I'm most naturally expecting another, by the way the authors are writing the upcoming bedroom scene:"Gaidres began to walk them backward, toward the center of the room, and soon they tumbled back onto the bed's soft ticking, expensive silks and plump pillows.Caelius laughed breathlessly as the kiss broke.  He arched beneath Gaidres.  `Made it to the bed this time, did we?'Gaidres growled, one knee pushing the man's thighs and rocking against his bare hip.  `This is just the opening battle...We'll have the floor for the primus.'Much later, Caelius lay panting, still reeling from his orgasm, when Gaidres moved to rise.  Caelius reached out and placed a hand on his stomach, shaking his head.  `You promised me a second battle, my beautiful gladiator.'  His hand slid up Gaidres's stomach...."NEEDLESS to say, I thought my Kindle lost a page or two in between those two scenes.  I flipped the pages back and forth, didn't change anything.  I felt bemusedly teased.  I thought, okay, not a problem.  After all, I have read author's who don't think it's necessary for the complete act to be given every time it's mentioned in the story.BUT THEN, the two lover's talked for several pages and then had their second intimate battle, AND, the author's skipped past that one as well!  That just left me frustrated!At that point I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue on.  It was too much teasing for me.But, the point I'm trying to make for future reader's is that is the last of the teasing.  After you get past that little blip in the story, it gets better.  Just hang in there!  ;)