Review: Exit sexually uninterested husband, Enter Passionate Dom
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 27, 2012
My rating: 4 stars or B-After twenty-two years of non-connubial bliss, recently divorced Cali Reynolds is ready to live out her fantasies at "The Den," an exclusive BDSM club. She's longed to give up control and be pushed to the edge of her comfort zone. Cali hopes a Dom delivers the sexual gratification her marriage denied her.Jake McCallister, Dom and part Den owner, can never stay in one place for very long. His two foster brothers had him sign a five year contract to help manage their BDSM club. Jake's five years are almost over. He's restless and ready to move. Jake meets Cali. Now, leaving the club means giving up Cali, which is not as easy as this long-time Dom thought it would be."The sex had been amazing. But Jake was right; it was the connection she craved. The control he exerted over her would feel empty without the bond that went with it. One he'd cultivated so subtly that she'd been snared before she realized the trap had been set.He'd made her feel special, safe, for the first time in years. But she couldn't romanticize it. She was just another sub to him, nothing different. Not someone as old and inexperienced as her."I really enjoyed this BDSM contemporary romance. Lynda Aicher delivers more than steamy sex on a St. Andrew's Cross. She gives us interesting characters, although Jake didn't have as much backstory as I would have liked, I did love Cali's story. Her husband is much like the Three's Company character Mr. Roper, a man sexually uninterested in his wife. (Poor Helen!) Cali's marriage is not a complex story, but the divorce left a messy impact on her adult children and the people she thought were her friends. Her relationship with her daughter adds more dimension to her character and story. Her daughter's struggle to accept Cali as a woman with physical appetites is both funny and sad. I cheered for Cali to excavate and embrace her sexuality.The hero, Jake, has very few layers. His emotions and actions are as obvious to the reader as a `connect the dots' line in an activity pad. He's so transparent that, at times, it's a wonder how he remains oblivious to his issues. On the plus side, Jake is a mystery to Cali. She is drawn to him like a moth to light. He dominates her. He pleasures her. Jake meets her needs, and Cali's boundaries are pushed as she had hoped; sometimes, above and beyond her dreams. Despite Jake's lack of backstory he does have some dimension and vulnerabilities, which is enough for me to chew on as a reader. His foster brothers are very chewy, too!Bonds of Trust is the first book in the Wicked Play series. I very much enjoyed the sexy times, characters, story, and secondary characters. I'm anticipating Bonds of Need (Wicked Play, #2) as Jake's foster brother, Deklan Winters, works his Dom charm on Cali's friend Kendra, who has demons that Deklan will surely help her battle with pleasure.(An advanced readers copy was generously provided by Carina Press via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.)Final Verdict: Recommended Read