Review: Interesting and informative
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 20, 2014
Reviewed Pat Henshawfor TheRomanceReviews.comEven though readers usually like it when authors mention characters from older books in newer ones, sometimes melding series doesn't work out as well as an author would like. A case in point is this book that merges SJD Peterson's Whispering Pines Ranch series with her Guards of Folsom novels.Bisexual Aiden James, the older brother of Lorcan from the Whispering Pines Ranch series, meets psychologist Dr. Grant "Max" Maxwell, who was called in to help Bobby and Rig in the previous Guards of Folsom book, Tag Team. Aiden and Max immediately click.When 26-year-old Aiden discovers that 35-year-old Max has been a Dom at the New York City Guards of Folsom Dominant/submissive club for ten years, Aiden is curious about the lifestyle, and Max is delighted to teach him what the life of a submissive is all about.After Max tells Aiden that the D/s relationship is "about fulfilling fantasies, having fun, or connecting on a level that is much more than physical" and that "pony play is one of the hottest kinks" he has, they decide to enter into a 60-day contract even though Aiden has some misgivings that he might lose sight of himself while being Max's submissive.Neither of the men count on love entering into the relationship and making their wildest dreams come true.On the surface, this looks like another of Peterson's hard-hitting novels about love and non-traditional lifestyles. All the other books also featured men working their way from short-term relationships based on lust to happily-ever-after commitments based on love. And this novel is no different.What is different are the players who this time are lackluster and difficult to like because of their bland personalities. Max, the Dominant, is so controlled and cold that he doesn't exude trust and caring. In fact, at one point in the book, Max realizes that he's let Aiden down and is blaming his sub for his own mistakes.Aiden is even more wishy-washy than Max. He came to New York from Indiana for reasons unknown, even to himself. The city noise and hustle bustle bother him enough to make him nervous, upset, and downright unpleasant. Unfortunately, he never gels into a character with a solid personality and goals. He's always just a cipher submissive.As a handbook on what the ideal Dominant/submissive relationship should be, this is an interesting and informative read. However, as a gay romance novel, it falls flat without the interesting and compelling characters that all the other Peterson novels have featured.