Review: Much sweeter than expected!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 9, 2013
Sometimes when you leave a book on your TBR for a long time when it comes up on the rotation (for me that usually means via a challenge of some sort) I often am still reluctant to read it. I worry it won't be as good as I think it will - or time and space has dulled my initial enthusiasm. Whatever the case this one was different than I expected but it met my expectations. Hows that for confusing?The blurb describes it well so no rehash here. I found this one totally ruled by its characters. If I had to use a word to describe Alex it would be More . More sex, more rough, more pain, more - more-more. He is steel underneath - his is the strength. Gavin, as his trainer, spends much of his time not so sure. Not so sure of what he wants, what Alex needs, and unsure of how this whole thing is going to work out. He actually irritated me quite frequently. Sam, Gavin's partner, I really wanted more exploration of. Demetri says something to him during a lunch (no spoilers) and I was right there with him wondering the same thing. It is an unanswered question and the reason for the loss of a star. I felt it needed to be answered by more than just Sam and Gavin's love - I didn't believe it. How's that for cryptic?I also (if I'm truthful) wanted more exploration of the other slave training facilities. Here at Cascade it was so insular. I felt like it was a very separate part of the world. It made the society at large feel sheltered and a lot less harsh and realistic than I expect it truly is. Sort of like Hogwart's where it might be magical inside but outside you just know there are creepy things in black ready to suck out your soul.So glad I finally read it (3+ years on the TBR) and pretty happy with it. Much sweeter than I normally read when reading any sort of slave fiction - so those who get scared off by my normal reading list should give this a try. It is an excellent exploration of BDSM in a controlled environment - with some great scenes.