Review: Moderately hardcore BDSM with a sweet touch
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 23, 2011
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.Rating: 9/10PROS:- The majority of the BDSM books I've read have included two (or three) people who are already in the scene or one who sort of stumbles onto it accidentally. This story contains a character who's a total novice but goes actively searching for what he feels he's been missing.- The story doesn't just focus on all the wonderful things that happen during Sterling's initiation into BDSM. It covers the difficulties too: the misunderstandings, the fears, the failures...and the relationship seems all the stronger for those things.- I loved how pushy Sterling is (and how nonchalant he is about it), especially when the two men are first getting to know each other. He's determined to snag Owen by researching not only BDSM, but also the specific things Owen is into--even after Owen has turned him down.- I also loved how Owen is so puzzled by his reaction to Sterling but never allows his bewilderment to show. He's a stoic Dom the vast majority of the time during the initial phase of their relationship, but he's losing his heart a piece at a time.- I'm a huge fan of books that hold off on sex until there's been some buildup, and boy, does this book have the buildup on that account. Quite a nice payoff, too, when it finally happens.CONS:- Some of the scenes ended before I felt like they should have, and some of the fairly important/momentous things the guys do together occur offstage. (That is, they're not shown; they're simply mentioned briefly in passing, like, "oh, by the way, this happened, but on we go...")- There's a scene late in the story when the two main characters are apart that I found extremely unpleasant and difficult to read.- One of the minor-but-still-significant plot elements is wrapped up at the end of the book a little too quickly/conveniently.Overall comments: I really enjoyed this book. The characterization is solid, and I found the story sweet but not overly so. Owen and Sterling's interactions had me hooked right from the start; their preconceived notions about each other make for some deliciously charged scenes, both sexual and non-sexual.