Review: A very good, unique read!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2013
**3.75 stars**What a great read by L.A. Witt! This story is unlike any other that I have read in the BDSM genre!The book opens with two friends, Chase and Derek, waiting on line to get their room key at a leather convention (what I wouldn't give to be a fly on that wall!). The sexual tension is THICK between them. The two friends hooked up the night before but for some reason, only had vanilla (non-BDSM) sex and now things are strained. It doesn't help at Chase's ex, a beautiful sub, and Derek's dream dom are also both present at the convention.First of all, how cool is the setting for this book? I mean, I'm used to dental conventions but toothbrushes and whitening gels have NOTHING on a booths dedicated to cat o' nine tails, leather collars, and restraint devices. And my seminars on dentures and crowns PALE in comparison to a knife play (ouch!) and rope-knotting demonstration!! I really liked the change of scenery for this book. Bravo to L.A. Witt for using some imagination!I also really enjoyed kind of a behind the scenes look at how a "scene" comes about. There was a lot of focus on safety and sober play, which I found fascinating. I liked how it made BDSM more accessible for readers like myself. The sex was also a positive for me. Though this was a BDSM-themed book, there were surprisingly few sex scenes. But when the guys got going... Whew! It was hot!!Now, when it comes down to the two men themselves, I felt a little underwhelmed. I wanted Chase to be a bit more... Dom-y. He seemed kind of passive for a Dom and I wanted him to exude a bit more take-charge energy. It often seemed like Derek had more power in their dynamic, which I kind of thought was odd.My main complaint, however, was the constant back and forth and miscommunications. I understand that the guys had to overcome their fears and insecurities but it grew tiresome to read. I wanted to just shake both of them!! At about 75% of the way through, I grew pretty exasperated. I don't love miscommunications as a plot device and this book was heavily dependent upon that for most of the story.Despite my issues with the characters, I really enjoyed this book. It was a nice mix of romance and kinkiness, and it worked for me!**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**