Review: A hot romp set against a sweet, young love story.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
Yup, I just gave this book five stars. What can I say? I highly recommend it.So, so, so so dirtily HOT - especially for such a, *gulps*, "healthy" relationship.His Roommate’s Pleasure is probably one of the best BDSM books that explores the D/s archetypes through role playing that I have ever read. At the same time, it is one of the best new adult / self-discovery books I have ever read. At the same time being one of the best virgin discovering their sexuality and kinks book I have ever read. It isn’t overtly sweet, it is paced well, had a pinch of angst, the awkwardness of young love, sexy as heck and featured the healthiest relationship I have read of in quite some time, if ever. Neither Josh, nor Adam bring any deep seated baggage to the relationship and their D/s roles don’t transcend to outside of the bedroom. Their roles are just that - roles to get off. The roles are not needed to discover some twisted epiphany as to why Josh desires dominance and Adam desires being dominated. Their kink is just a kink and no convoluted psychology is needed to explain it. BDSM roles are a mutually shared desire and their power remains balanced with in their D/s roles as well as outside of the bedroom. Adam is as much in control of what he is very willingly submitting to as Josh is in control of how he dominates. What is the key to this healthy relationship? Communication, of course. These two are great at communicating, there is no contrived drama. Any misconceptions one might have about the other, is very sensibly discussed and resolved without unnecessary to do. And yet, McGregor is able to retain the right dose of awkwardness and taboo to keep the heat up and the reader engaged from start to finish.I really liked how these two communicated their fantasies to each other via the porn. And then actively and openly discussed making those fantasies a reality that they would both be comfortable performing. Submission does not equal punishment or obedience. Domination does not equal totalitarian control or even a sage understanding of what the submissive “needs.” In fact, one of my favorite aspects of the sex scenes is when Josh would break “character” and tell Adam what he would like to do to him and ask if he would like that as well - essentially ask permission to do so. He was very attentive to both their enjoyments and comfort levels.“Josh had turned out to be a friend as well as a (expletive) buddy, and now he was a boyfriend on top of all that.”The progression of the relationship was well done as they journeyed from roommates to friends to (expletive) buddies to boyfriends. McGregor led the reader from physical intimacy to emotional intimacy smoothly.“It was easy and relaxed, and even though they had clearly slipped into the power balance that suited them, they weren’t playing, not like they had done each of the other times they’d been together. It wasn’t a scene, it was him and Josh, and he liked that they could do this. That they could joke around and make out and have it be as hot as when they were playing for real.”I liked that too. Josh and Adam’s story paints a wonderful example of how a couple can enjoy a kink without it defining their relationship or “lifestyle.” I don’t believe this is a PWP, though it will satisfy for a quick thrill. There is a story here. The story of two college boys exploring a very adult desire and doing so in a very adult manner. A story that many of us adults could probably take a page from.