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Deliver Us #1
Deliver Us
Novel (145,000 words)
Genre(s): Contemporary, Romance, BDSM, Erotica
Darrek thinks he is just a straight, hard-working but lonely guy. When he decides to try a session at a private BDSM club, Darrek is unprepared for a life-changing encounter with beautiful, powerful and very male Dominant, Gabriel. Once they cross the line, nothing is off limits and nothing is enough as they crave ever more: more trust, more pleasure, more pain, and more devotion. As Darrek and Gabriel negotiate their relationships with each other and their coworkers, carefully-buried secrets and abusive pasts come to light. (M/M - For content labels and excerpt, see details on publisher's site.)
Genre(s): Contemporary, Romance, BDSM, Erotica
Darrek thinks he is just a straight, hard-working but lonely guy. When he decides to try a session at a private BDSM club, Darrek is unprepared for a life-changing encounter with beautiful, powerful and very male Dominant, Gabriel. Once they cross the line, nothing is off limits and nothing is enough as they crave ever more: more trust, more pleasure, more pain, and more devotion. As Darrek and Gabriel negotiate their relationships with each other and their coworkers, carefully-buried secrets and abusive pasts come to light. (M/M - For content labels and excerpt, see details on publisher's site.)
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2012
26 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Kelling
29 books391 followersLynn Kelling began writing in order to tell stories that aren’t afraid of the dark, don’t hold anything back and always strive to be memorable, forging lasting attachments between character and reader. Her inspiration comes from taking a closer look at behaviors and ideas lurking at the fringes of life—basically anything that people may hesitate to speak of in mixed company, but everyone wonders about anyway. Her work is driven by the taboo in order to expose the humanity within it. Lynn is an artist, designer and lover of any form of creative self-expression that comes from a place of honesty and emotion, whether it's body art or opera. She has had multiple novels published, has written over fifty works of erotic fiction of varying lengths, and always has several novels in progress.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
December 10, 2012
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I could not bring myself to finish this book (or even read very much of it) so it seems mean to rate it. But Goodreads is subjective, and I hated this book, so I'm allowed to 1-star it. This does not equate to it being a bad book; this is only my opinion. And my opinion found it boring and dreary.
I read the first 123 (of 400) pages, then started skipping ahead and reading chapters to see if it got better. It didn't. The writing itself is fine, although the present tense takes a bit of getting used to. The book needed an editor, for things like a character wearing jeans lifting his butt up so his shorts can be removed.
But the reason I didn't like the book is that the BDSM is completely unbelieveable, and there is zero chemistry between any of the characters.
I can live with no chemistry if the sex is hot, and vice versa, but put the two together and I'm outta there.
Bad BDSM
First up, the Dom always calls the MC "slave". This is just a pet hate of mine.
The MC is a straight and naive boy who, having been spanked by a girlfriend and liking it, decides to go to a pro Domme. Our MC pays zero attention to the consent forms and ticks a bunch of random stuff. Because of this he gets a Dom (and his assistant). When the MC realises the mistake he explains that this is not the service that he wanted, but the Dom just goes all power-trippy on him. Now arguably this is part of the scene, but I do not believe this would happen in a pro establishment. Happy clients = return clients.
The Dom realises that this is a newbie. He therefore does not discuss the MC's expectations and desires with him, explain safewords (or anything else) to him, but quickly assigns him a safeword based on his vehicle. He then gags the MC but does not provide any alternative means of safewording (in a later punishment scene the Dom takes the MCs safeword away altogether so the MC cannot stop the scene no matter what).
The assistant uses a sound on the MC. In the MC's first scene ever.
Our straight MC has never had anal sex before, but is so irresistable to the Dom that he has to fuck him. The establishment is not supposed to provide sex, and the Dom does get chastised by the manager later; but, you know, his ass was too cute to resist.
Now, the Dom does put a dildo in him first, but, still, here's the moment of penetration:
..he sighs and thrusts inside Darrek in one swift movement, past the tighter outer ring of muscle and into the gripping heat of his body
One swift thrust on a virgin. Yeah....that's gonna feel good.
When the gag is removed and the MC safewords, the Dom treats it as a slow word, and keeps going.
So the Dom likes the MC's ass so much he slips him his private phone number and two days later, having invited himself over, the Dom is at the MC's house, where the MC confesses his undying devotion and subjugation: the MC now belongs to the Dom. They have a lot of sex, it's kinky, there's pain, blah blah blah . . . all completely passionless.
This book comes across as being the m/m version of Fifty Shades. The idea of kinky sex is supposed to be so naughty and thrilling that there is no need for sexual tension or character development.
Also, there's a scene with a vacuum table and sensory dep. The guy in the table has a breathing tube. The safeword is three long hums and two short ones. Wait, or was that two long hums and three short ones? I'm not even inside a vacuum table in a state of sexual overload, and I can't keep it straight.
Oh, plus, for this, it's the Dom inside the table. Making the completely inexperienced newbie keep an eye out for him. Yeeeaaah . . . no.
Lack of tension
Because the MC's first scene is so full-on, and he immediately pledges himself as the Dom's slave, there is zero tension in the story. There's no build-up. No delicious teasing. The guys did it all the very first time they met, and there's nowhere to go with the plot. It descends into orifice Twister: place body part A into hole B and say "slave" again, just to get me hot.
What is left for drama seems to be a weird kind of soap opera-y thing based around the five men in the story: who did what to whom, who likes whom, who kissed whom without permission, thus apparently nessessitating punishment with urine and without safewords (it takes a special kind of writer to make piss-play seem like dealing with a toddler at the supermarket: we are NOT leaving this bathroom until you piss yourself, young man!).
There is a plot where one MC's sexual abuse as a child comes out, and there's a lot of ALL CAPS AND SHOUTY BITS. Because the only people who enjoy BDSM are the psychologically damaged ones, of course.
On the up side, there is a lot of hard sex, and I'm sure you could get at least some one-handed reads from the book.
The author says she was inspired to write this from watching a BDSM video. 'Nuff said.
P.S. Read Finding Eden instead - it's awesome m/m violent BDSM hotness!
I could not bring myself to finish this book (or even read very much of it) so it seems mean to rate it. But Goodreads is subjective, and I hated this book, so I'm allowed to 1-star it. This does not equate to it being a bad book; this is only my opinion. And my opinion found it boring and dreary.
I read the first 123 (of 400) pages, then started skipping ahead and reading chapters to see if it got better. It didn't. The writing itself is fine, although the present tense takes a bit of getting used to. The book needed an editor, for things like a character wearing jeans lifting his butt up so his shorts can be removed.
But the reason I didn't like the book is that the BDSM is completely unbelieveable, and there is zero chemistry between any of the characters.
I can live with no chemistry if the sex is hot, and vice versa, but put the two together and I'm outta there.
Bad BDSM
First up, the Dom always calls the MC "slave". This is just a pet hate of mine.
The MC is a straight and naive boy who, having been spanked by a girlfriend and liking it, decides to go to a pro Domme. Our MC pays zero attention to the consent forms and ticks a bunch of random stuff. Because of this he gets a Dom (and his assistant). When the MC realises the mistake he explains that this is not the service that he wanted, but the Dom just goes all power-trippy on him. Now arguably this is part of the scene, but I do not believe this would happen in a pro establishment. Happy clients = return clients.
The Dom realises that this is a newbie. He therefore does not discuss the MC's expectations and desires with him, explain safewords (or anything else) to him, but quickly assigns him a safeword based on his vehicle. He then gags the MC but does not provide any alternative means of safewording (in a later punishment scene the Dom takes the MCs safeword away altogether so the MC cannot stop the scene no matter what).
The assistant uses a sound on the MC. In the MC's first scene ever.
Our straight MC has never had anal sex before, but is so irresistable to the Dom that he has to fuck him. The establishment is not supposed to provide sex, and the Dom does get chastised by the manager later; but, you know, his ass was too cute to resist.
Now, the Dom does put a dildo in him first, but, still, here's the moment of penetration:
..he sighs and thrusts inside Darrek in one swift movement, past the tighter outer ring of muscle and into the gripping heat of his body
One swift thrust on a virgin. Yeah....that's gonna feel good.
When the gag is removed and the MC safewords, the Dom treats it as a slow word, and keeps going.
So the Dom likes the MC's ass so much he slips him his private phone number and two days later, having invited himself over, the Dom is at the MC's house, where the MC confesses his undying devotion and subjugation: the MC now belongs to the Dom. They have a lot of sex, it's kinky, there's pain, blah blah blah . . . all completely passionless.
This book comes across as being the m/m version of Fifty Shades. The idea of kinky sex is supposed to be so naughty and thrilling that there is no need for sexual tension or character development.
Also, there's a scene with a vacuum table and sensory dep. The guy in the table has a breathing tube. The safeword is three long hums and two short ones. Wait, or was that two long hums and three short ones? I'm not even inside a vacuum table in a state of sexual overload, and I can't keep it straight.
Oh, plus, for this, it's the Dom inside the table. Making the completely inexperienced newbie keep an eye out for him. Yeeeaaah . . . no.
Lack of tension
Because the MC's first scene is so full-on, and he immediately pledges himself as the Dom's slave, there is zero tension in the story. There's no build-up. No delicious teasing. The guys did it all the very first time they met, and there's nowhere to go with the plot. It descends into orifice Twister: place body part A into hole B and say "slave" again, just to get me hot.
What is left for drama seems to be a weird kind of soap opera-y thing based around the five men in the story: who did what to whom, who likes whom, who kissed whom without permission, thus apparently nessessitating punishment with urine and without safewords (it takes a special kind of writer to make piss-play seem like dealing with a toddler at the supermarket: we are NOT leaving this bathroom until you piss yourself, young man!).
There is a plot where one MC's sexual abuse as a child comes out, and there's a lot of ALL CAPS AND SHOUTY BITS. Because the only people who enjoy BDSM are the psychologically damaged ones, of course.
On the up side, there is a lot of hard sex, and I'm sure you could get at least some one-handed reads from the book.
The author says she was inspired to write this from watching a BDSM video. 'Nuff said.
P.S. Read Finding Eden instead - it's awesome m/m violent BDSM hotness!
April 16, 2013
Okay, where to start without resulting to my initial response, which would probably get a few raised brows from anyone reading this (spoiler: there were a few swear words, a lot of shifting to adjust the heat under my collar, and a lot “phew, they’re doing what?”).
Hands up, I have to admit, Deliver Us touched on a few taboos. Ones that I’d not come across before. That’s a strange place to start a review, with a list of likes and unknowns, but it becomes important when you put it in context with characters, plot, and pace.
The two leads in this, Darrek and Gabe, especially because of their histories, they needed an explosive sexual creativity when they were together, that ability to just let go and experience, as life in general had forced them to close down in their own ways. It seems they needed that extreme level of intensity to allow each other the ability to trust when it then came to going beyond the physical.
Darrek is your sensitive straight, who having being left by his ex lover is given a number to a BDSM club. Fully expecting to explore a female D/s relationship, something he has nibbled at in the past, complications over the forms he signs puts Derek under the experienced hands of Gabe, a male Dom with just the right touch to throw Darrek’s world into a heated rush of sensation overload, submission, and the even more dangerous possibility of being Gabe’s lover.
As Dom and sub, Gabe and Darrek seem the most unlikeliest pair to cross paths, let alone become lovers. We have Darrek, the lonely lovable giant who stumbles away from a shattered relationship into the BDSM scene and a gay love life in general. There’s a will and determinism to try everything, to find his body’s limits and test whether he can push through them, all underwritten by his growing feelings for Gabe that seem to give him the drive for pushing his mind and body.
Then there’s Gabe. His troubled history has taken him into the role of a Dom, one who only ever touches, never allows to touch, and who also comes with one hell of a protective group of Doms who get just as aggressive with anyone threatening to touch Gabe (a protectiveness that I loved seeing play out).
It seems a relationship that’s doomed to fail, either through Darrek’s and Gabe’s destructive histories, the intensity of a D/s relationship, or the protectiveness of friends. It’s certainly one relationship I was skeptical to in the beginning, the whole straight to gay/vanilla to SUB seeming a wide gap to fill.
Yet it’s that understanding you reach with both parties, how you can see Gabe seeming to find a certain level of security in knowing Darrek stumbled into the gay BDSM scene, that there’s an innocence to how Darrek breaks down the barrier to Gabe that Gabe forced around himself a teen. Darrek wouldn’t have had the same reaction with any other Dom; Gabe would have just gone through the motions given any other sub. It had to be Gade; it had to be Darrek for this to work.
But, on a level of kink beyond the taboo, I loved this relationship from a language pov too. It was intriguing to see Gabe and Darrek live the D/s lifestyle, but have a narrative prose that showed equal dynamics. Equal weight is given to Darrek and Gabe in and outside of a scene, so both work together, neither really claiming linguistic dominance, and it’s that subtlety that helped cement their relationship, for me anyway.
And a lot of that is why it has taken me so long to read this novel. There were so many things going at so many levels, I had to back away, force myself to pull out at certain points for fear of sensory overload. Not a bad thing at all. In fact, I had to go buy a hard copy for my… collection.
Definitely a keeper, and one I’ll be reading again.
Hands up, I have to admit, Deliver Us touched on a few taboos. Ones that I’d not come across before. That’s a strange place to start a review, with a list of likes and unknowns, but it becomes important when you put it in context with characters, plot, and pace.
The two leads in this, Darrek and Gabe, especially because of their histories, they needed an explosive sexual creativity when they were together, that ability to just let go and experience, as life in general had forced them to close down in their own ways. It seems they needed that extreme level of intensity to allow each other the ability to trust when it then came to going beyond the physical.
Darrek is your sensitive straight, who having being left by his ex lover is given a number to a BDSM club. Fully expecting to explore a female D/s relationship, something he has nibbled at in the past, complications over the forms he signs puts Derek under the experienced hands of Gabe, a male Dom with just the right touch to throw Darrek’s world into a heated rush of sensation overload, submission, and the even more dangerous possibility of being Gabe’s lover.
As Dom and sub, Gabe and Darrek seem the most unlikeliest pair to cross paths, let alone become lovers. We have Darrek, the lonely lovable giant who stumbles away from a shattered relationship into the BDSM scene and a gay love life in general. There’s a will and determinism to try everything, to find his body’s limits and test whether he can push through them, all underwritten by his growing feelings for Gabe that seem to give him the drive for pushing his mind and body.
Then there’s Gabe. His troubled history has taken him into the role of a Dom, one who only ever touches, never allows to touch, and who also comes with one hell of a protective group of Doms who get just as aggressive with anyone threatening to touch Gabe (a protectiveness that I loved seeing play out).
It seems a relationship that’s doomed to fail, either through Darrek’s and Gabe’s destructive histories, the intensity of a D/s relationship, or the protectiveness of friends. It’s certainly one relationship I was skeptical to in the beginning, the whole straight to gay/vanilla to SUB seeming a wide gap to fill.
Yet it’s that understanding you reach with both parties, how you can see Gabe seeming to find a certain level of security in knowing Darrek stumbled into the gay BDSM scene, that there’s an innocence to how Darrek breaks down the barrier to Gabe that Gabe forced around himself a teen. Darrek wouldn’t have had the same reaction with any other Dom; Gabe would have just gone through the motions given any other sub. It had to be Gade; it had to be Darrek for this to work.
But, on a level of kink beyond the taboo, I loved this relationship from a language pov too. It was intriguing to see Gabe and Darrek live the D/s lifestyle, but have a narrative prose that showed equal dynamics. Equal weight is given to Darrek and Gabe in and outside of a scene, so both work together, neither really claiming linguistic dominance, and it’s that subtlety that helped cement their relationship, for me anyway.
And a lot of that is why it has taken me so long to read this novel. There were so many things going at so many levels, I had to back away, force myself to pull out at certain points for fear of sensory overload. Not a bad thing at all. In fact, I had to go buy a hard copy for my… collection.
Definitely a keeper, and one I’ll be reading again.
July 1, 2012
I hate leaving one-star reviews, particularly for new authors. Unfortunately, I feel the need to warn potential readers off from this book. Why?
1) Lack of realism. I understand this is fiction, but when a story is set in the modern world, it should operate within the parameters of that world. It failed to do so because:
A) Insta-love (or insta worship). A previously self I dentures straight man falls immediately in the thrall of his first gay master. The authors trues to rationalize this leap, but I don't buy it. Now, I can handle insta-love when the story supports it (i.e. shifter novels, or extremely circumstances), but it just doesn't make sense here. The MC has little internal turmoil over his switch from women to men (although there is some inner-dialogue), let alone his newly discovered kink.
B) BDSM. I expect some character growth, underlying kink, or other rationale for BDSM. I love BDSM novels primarily because it is used as a catalyst for personal growth or expansion of one's horizons. Not here - here it seems to be used solely to titillate the reader. It doesn't work for me.
2) BDSM. Now, I know I mentioned this above as a reason why this story is unrealistic, but I think this deserves it's own category. This isn't BDSM in my book, it's abuse. For example, the MCs first exposure to BDSM is to hire a professional master. The master doesn't communicate with him. His only 'discussion' of what activities the (first-time!) sub is willing to accept is a form, which the sub (being new to the scene) understandably doesn't fully understand. Further, this trained professional gives him a safe-word, but doesn't explain what a safe word I'd (remember, the sub is a BDSM virgin). Not only that, but the master then proceeds to gag the sub, without providing a safe 'gesture' or anything else to allow the sub to call a halt to the session. Again, this is to someone new to the scene, and for a sub the master doesn't know anything about! Finally, the first scene is an advanced bdsm scene for a bdsm newbie. In a later scene, this master denies his sub a safe word, because he is being punished......... OK... Who cares if the sub is irreparably harmed, as long as its part of punishment. Additionally, a different master backhands his sub when he's caught trying to harm himself. I get it, you're upset, the sub is being reckless and causing self-injury. But..... Ummm.... Back handing him is not oK. Unless, maybe it's part of a scene, and per-agreed upon. Maybe. But I think how this author handles BDSM is irresponsible, and potentially harmful to non-discriminating readers. Further, the sub claims he will 'do anything for his master- anything. I don't see this as a string sub, but rather, another red flag of abuse..
Now, I don't mind some violence or strong BDSM, if the story calls for it. In fact, it often helps me further empathize with the character (see Henry's 'Tribute, or Nunn's 'Bloodraven'). However, I can't STAND abuse disguised as BDSM, and I think that's what this is. Further, I dislike he inference that two of the MCs are into BDSM due to abusive pasts.
3) I hate present tense. Now, I know that there are some novels it is acceptable, if not essential, to the storyline. This is not one of those stories. In fact, it made me feel like I was watching a movie with an omniscient narrator. "bob goes to the store. He thinks he ran out of ketchup, so he buys some. He then drives home." blah. Further, there are instances in which the MC reflects upon previous activities or thoughts, and the story switches to past tense. These may be grammatically correct - I didn't care enough to reread them. They are distracting, though.
To give the author her due, there were moments that put a twinge in my chest; that caused me to empathize with the MCs. I kind of do want to know how things turned out. That almost made this a two-star review. Unfortunately, the above points nullified that urge - I couldn't bring myself to waste the time to finish reading this. Perhaps, if the author dithes the BDSM and present tense, I'll try another book from her. For now, lll say tata.
Sorry Lynn.
EDIT 07/01/2012: To be fair, the author did apparently write a disclaimer that this wasn't intended to represent real bdsm. ( I can't verify this as I no longer have the copy of the book - I must have deleted it). I still didn't like it (personally), but had this warning been posted in the blurb or on the purchasing site, I would have known to avoid it in advance, as fantasy bdsm is just not my cup of tea.
1) Lack of realism. I understand this is fiction, but when a story is set in the modern world, it should operate within the parameters of that world. It failed to do so because:
A) Insta-love (or insta worship). A previously self I dentures straight man falls immediately in the thrall of his first gay master. The authors trues to rationalize this leap, but I don't buy it. Now, I can handle insta-love when the story supports it (i.e. shifter novels, or extremely circumstances), but it just doesn't make sense here. The MC has little internal turmoil over his switch from women to men (although there is some inner-dialogue), let alone his newly discovered kink.
B) BDSM. I expect some character growth, underlying kink, or other rationale for BDSM. I love BDSM novels primarily because it is used as a catalyst for personal growth or expansion of one's horizons. Not here - here it seems to be used solely to titillate the reader. It doesn't work for me.
2) BDSM. Now, I know I mentioned this above as a reason why this story is unrealistic, but I think this deserves it's own category. This isn't BDSM in my book, it's abuse. For example, the MCs first exposure to BDSM is to hire a professional master. The master doesn't communicate with him. His only 'discussion' of what activities the (first-time!) sub is willing to accept is a form, which the sub (being new to the scene) understandably doesn't fully understand. Further, this trained professional gives him a safe-word, but doesn't explain what a safe word I'd (remember, the sub is a BDSM virgin). Not only that, but the master then proceeds to gag the sub, without providing a safe 'gesture' or anything else to allow the sub to call a halt to the session. Again, this is to someone new to the scene, and for a sub the master doesn't know anything about! Finally, the first scene is an advanced bdsm scene for a bdsm newbie. In a later scene, this master denies his sub a safe word, because he is being punished......... OK... Who cares if the sub is irreparably harmed, as long as its part of punishment. Additionally, a different master backhands his sub when he's caught trying to harm himself. I get it, you're upset, the sub is being reckless and causing self-injury. But..... Ummm.... Back handing him is not oK. Unless, maybe it's part of a scene, and per-agreed upon. Maybe. But I think how this author handles BDSM is irresponsible, and potentially harmful to non-discriminating readers. Further, the sub claims he will 'do anything for his master- anything. I don't see this as a string sub, but rather, another red flag of abuse..
Now, I don't mind some violence or strong BDSM, if the story calls for it. In fact, it often helps me further empathize with the character (see Henry's 'Tribute, or Nunn's 'Bloodraven'). However, I can't STAND abuse disguised as BDSM, and I think that's what this is. Further, I dislike he inference that two of the MCs are into BDSM due to abusive pasts.
3) I hate present tense. Now, I know that there are some novels it is acceptable, if not essential, to the storyline. This is not one of those stories. In fact, it made me feel like I was watching a movie with an omniscient narrator. "bob goes to the store. He thinks he ran out of ketchup, so he buys some. He then drives home." blah. Further, there are instances in which the MC reflects upon previous activities or thoughts, and the story switches to past tense. These may be grammatically correct - I didn't care enough to reread them. They are distracting, though.
To give the author her due, there were moments that put a twinge in my chest; that caused me to empathize with the MCs. I kind of do want to know how things turned out. That almost made this a two-star review. Unfortunately, the above points nullified that urge - I couldn't bring myself to waste the time to finish reading this. Perhaps, if the author dithes the BDSM and present tense, I'll try another book from her. For now, lll say tata.
Sorry Lynn.
EDIT 07/01/2012: To be fair, the author did apparently write a disclaimer that this wasn't intended to represent real bdsm. ( I can't verify this as I no longer have the copy of the book - I must have deleted it). I still didn't like it (personally), but had this warning been posted in the blurb or on the purchasing site, I would have known to avoid it in advance, as fantasy bdsm is just not my cup of tea.
July 16, 2014
3.5 stars
Like anal beads through the hourglass, these are the gays in our life.
This was one epically HAWT story. Like Sexapoolza for S&M. One's gotta like some decent pain with a firm, but caring hand to enjoy this. The opening scene starts with some serious CBT, cock and ball torture. Cringe worthy. There's no warm up as one of the main characters, Darrek jumps straight into the deep end.
And this is where I had some of my first misgivings and perhaps alienated other readers. It's Darrek's first time visiting the club and frankly, it was a little loose with the safety rules. To be fair, Gabriel seems to respond immediately to Darrek's needs and safeword.
Now, I hope you like it spicy because the story just keeps on with the hits. Sadism continues with some intense figging which leads to a whole host of activities it explores: fisting, watersports, more fisting, needle play, barebacking, chastity, orgasm denial, prostate milking, medical play, sounding, anal beads, vacuum beds/mummification, mmmm...
So yeah, there's sex. Like a never-ending Chinese noodle box of sex. And, it is HOT. Trust me, if you're looking for sexy times, WINNER. Alright, I'm on board with the sexfest, but there is a weird disconnect in the tone of the book between embracing intense BDSM and the appropriate rules/actions and faux reality TV. There's a drama llama, telenovela quality to the crazy ride of Darrek and Gabriel and their counterpoints, Kyle and Ben. I also had issues with moments where the characters' speech and actions were not ringing male.
Then there's the head hopping conga--Everybody join in. The tennis match POV makes multiple appearances. At some point, even good sex is... enough already. I like sex, but this is nonstop let's throw in everything including cleaning the cum out of your ass in the kitchen sink--seriously. Editing, this would have benefitted from aggressive editing. Some flashbacks are unnecessary and just there's just too much. This book is over 400 pages and could have easily cut 25% and felt tighter. It's an inelegant sprawl.
Now come some of my personal peeves. I have major issues with persons using toys/equipment that they've never used that are dangerous and potentially lethal. I have major issues with characters playing psychiatrist, especially since they know they're messing with Gabe when they're doing it. I am also not thrilled with the implication that persons who want to practice these sorts of activities have some mental disorder. Individual reader aggravation will vary.
So, when it came to rating this story I had a difficult time. How do I judge it? Pure entertainment value, it is 5 stars for the plentiful and creative sex if I think of this as fantasy erotica. If I judged this as a contemporary erotic romance it would be closer to 2 stars. I think reader expectations really determine whether or not one will enjoy this and since it straddles two sub-genres that makes it complicated.
That said, the content of the scenes are ridiculously hot and play into fantasies well and as long as one views it as a HBO show and not reality, it works.
GUEST REVIEWED:
Like anal beads through the hourglass, these are the gays in our life.
This was one epically HAWT story. Like Sexapoolza for S&M. One's gotta like some decent pain with a firm, but caring hand to enjoy this. The opening scene starts with some serious CBT, cock and ball torture. Cringe worthy. There's no warm up as one of the main characters, Darrek jumps straight into the deep end.
And this is where I had some of my first misgivings and perhaps alienated other readers. It's Darrek's first time visiting the club and frankly, it was a little loose with the safety rules. To be fair, Gabriel seems to respond immediately to Darrek's needs and safeword.
Now, I hope you like it spicy because the story just keeps on with the hits. Sadism continues with some intense figging which leads to a whole host of activities it explores: fisting, watersports, more fisting, needle play, barebacking, chastity, orgasm denial, prostate milking, medical play, sounding, anal beads, vacuum beds/mummification, mmmm...
So yeah, there's sex. Like a never-ending Chinese noodle box of sex. And, it is HOT. Trust me, if you're looking for sexy times, WINNER. Alright, I'm on board with the sexfest, but there is a weird disconnect in the tone of the book between embracing intense BDSM and the appropriate rules/actions and faux reality TV. There's a drama llama, telenovela quality to the crazy ride of Darrek and Gabriel and their counterpoints, Kyle and Ben. I also had issues with moments where the characters' speech and actions were not ringing male.
And I’ve let Ben—my Master—I’ve let him do things to me. I was trying to save some stuff, some parts of myself, for you, even though, logically, I knew I’d never have you.
“Just ignore me,” Kyle grins, wiping at his eyes. “Must be my time of the month and hearing your awesome love story.”
Then there's the head hopping conga--Everybody join in. The tennis match POV makes multiple appearances. At some point, even good sex is... enough already. I like sex, but this is nonstop let's throw in everything including cleaning the cum out of your ass in the kitchen sink--seriously. Editing, this would have benefitted from aggressive editing. Some flashbacks are unnecessary and just there's just too much. This book is over 400 pages and could have easily cut 25% and felt tighter. It's an inelegant sprawl.
Now come some of my personal peeves. I have major issues with persons using toys/equipment that they've never used that are dangerous and potentially lethal. I have major issues with characters playing psychiatrist, especially since they know they're messing with Gabe when they're doing it. I am also not thrilled with the implication that persons who want to practice these sorts of activities have some mental disorder. Individual reader aggravation will vary.
So, when it came to rating this story I had a difficult time. How do I judge it? Pure entertainment value, it is 5 stars for the plentiful and creative sex if I think of this as fantasy erotica. If I judged this as a contemporary erotic romance it would be closer to 2 stars. I think reader expectations really determine whether or not one will enjoy this and since it straddles two sub-genres that makes it complicated.
That said, the content of the scenes are ridiculously hot and play into fantasies well and as long as one views it as a HBO show and not reality, it works.
GUEST REVIEWED:
March 22, 2012
I can`t decide if 4 or 5 stars...
I go with 4,5 stars rounded up to 5 stars...
for the SHEER VOLCANIC HOTNESS of this comfort-zone-busting,deliciously cruel,cringe-worthy and sweet - yes,sweet! - piece of hardcore BDSM-erotica!!
Not a short book and the story undeniably had its flaws but I absolutely didn`t care...
A daily soap-like story with characters who sometimes didn`t act,talk and think like sane persons are supposed to act - Dramaqueens,all of them!
I knew what I was getting into from the beginning of the story - a professional Dom made it impossible for a clueless client in his first(!) scene to use his safeword AND had sex with him...!
A straight man had his first BDSM scene with a MALE Dom,got tortured,fucked and afterwards...Wham!...happily gay,submissive and in love with the Dom! Wow!
Did I say I didn`t care?
I was impatiently tapping my foot - waiting for the next sex/Bdsm scene....
HAVE MERCY...so NOT for the squeamish every cute,little torture device known to man was used here some of them I never heard of before and I`m not a BDSM rookie! Some scenes were out of my comfort zone but I was comfortable enough reading through them...
This can go either way - love or hate in my case it was love.
I was prepared begging Ms. Kelling for more of Kyle,Ben,Gabriel and Darrek but I don`t have to - sequel is on the way - THANK YOU!
NOTE: A very special thanks to my reading buddy Td who read and discussed it with me and had her hands full of keeping me in line!Love you!
I go with 4,5 stars rounded up to 5 stars...
for the SHEER VOLCANIC HOTNESS of this comfort-zone-busting,deliciously cruel,cringe-worthy and sweet - yes,sweet! - piece of hardcore BDSM-erotica!!
Not a short book and the story undeniably had its flaws but I absolutely didn`t care...
A daily soap-like story with characters who sometimes didn`t act,talk and think like sane persons are supposed to act - Dramaqueens,all of them!
I knew what I was getting into from the beginning of the story - a professional Dom made it impossible for a clueless client in his first(!) scene to use his safeword AND had sex with him...!
A straight man had his first BDSM scene with a MALE Dom,got tortured,fucked and afterwards...Wham!...happily gay,submissive and in love with the Dom! Wow!
Did I say I didn`t care?
I was impatiently tapping my foot - waiting for the next sex/Bdsm scene....
HAVE MERCY...so NOT for the squeamish every cute,little torture device known to man was used here some of them I never heard of before and I`m not a BDSM rookie! Some scenes were out of my comfort zone but I was comfortable enough reading through them...
This can go either way - love or hate in my case it was love.
I was prepared begging Ms. Kelling for more of Kyle,Ben,Gabriel and Darrek but I don`t have to - sequel is on the way - THANK YOU!
NOTE: A very special thanks to my reading buddy Td who read and discussed it with me and had her hands full of keeping me in line!Love you!
September 24, 2013
2.5 Stars
Deliver Us is, primarily, the story of two psychologically damaged men coming together under the guise of a BDSM relationship. I'm struggling with calling this BDSM simply because the power exchange between these guys is… well, whack. It's more like a group of guys who like to get their kink on. I read through a few reviews prior to reading it so I knew it tackled childhood sexual abuse. That is not my issue with this book, if it's a hot button for you, this is not the book for you. I hear about childhood sexual abuse regularly so I'm desensitized to it. It happens far more often than I'd care to think about & it's awful & tragic, but it's not gonna stop me from reading a book. It's the way it's handled that I'm struggling with; that Gabriel is using BDSM as a means of recovery, of exorcising his demons or even worse as a revenge by proxy against his stepfather. Case in point:
I wouldn't go as far as saying Gabriel's abusing his clients but a Dom not in control is no Dom &, quite frankly, frightening. Hopefully in the past he was more successful than this:
*shudders* This is over a kiss with another guy about a week (give or take) into their "relationship". A kiss! They haven't even had the exclusive discussion! Needless to say, it devolves further after these incidents then takes a 180 & the "power exchange" gets even more whack!
My second issue is also fairly represented by the above block quotes in that it exemplifies typical behavior of virtually all of the characters. I'm sorry, did I pick up a m/f book? I didn't think so but the amount of melodrama in this thing sure makes it feel like an estrogen fest. At times I felt like I was reading the kinked up, "m/m" version of FSoG. IMO, it screams m/f masquerading as m/m with all the contrived angst, overreactions & an inordinate amount of crying, sobbing, whining & giggling. On top of all that, the sheer dearth of self-esteem, self-worth or even a semblance of a positive self-image was staggering & tedious. I'd be willing to pay for any of these guys to get into some therapy so I didn't have to be bombarded by wave after wave of self-deprecation, insecurity & jealousy fueled possessiveness. I'm having trouble believing these are the actions of men period due to there being copious amounts of cliched sayings/actions that are generally considered stereotypical male behaviors i.e. a woman's interpretation of how she thinks men act. In short, it feels artificial which leads me to my third issue.
Darreck at the onset of this book is straight. He's recently been royally screwed over by his fiancée, had a one nighter with a girl who spanked him then decided he wanted to explore his masochistic tendencies. His best friend & secret admirer, Kyle, encourages him to call Diadem (where Kyle's been secretly meeting his Dom/Master Ben) so he can begin slave training; they set him up with Gabey (seriously?) who wends up fucking him during their first scene together-something he reportedly never does. Darreck takes this in stride. The whole thing. What? *looks around to see if anyone else thinks this is weird* I kept waiting for the freak out. There is some internal musing about having been "fucked by a guy" that lasts all of 3 mins then he's asking Gabey out, about 5 seconds after that he's sobbing & telling Gabey how much he "loves" him &-yup, you guessed it-off with the condoms & in moves Gabriel. So, the gist is a hangnail is cause for alarm & probably a good cry but switching teams is no biggie. o_O
Still this seems to be the overall theme of the book. Every situation that ordinarily would be difficult, challenging, alarming or even life altering for the average person is handled in a trite, almost dismissive way. Yet, the amount of time that's spent musing about the dog or dinner or the video feeds is (I guess)super important; IMO there's a dizzying amount of minutiae that could've been edited out. Whereas most of the critical life issues are handled in a way that's too neat, too tidy, too convenient to be taken seriously. Then again, it's romance fiction so perhaps my standards are unrealistic. All that being said, if you can overlook/adjust to the whacked out BDSM elements & read this as a group of emotionally unstable guys who make impulsive & reckless decisions, have self-destructive coping skills, are melodramatic & use sex far too often to "solve" their problems then this is the literary equivalent of the hitting the lottery.
On a more positive note, IMHO it's a fairly good representation of both PTSD & BPD. I'm not a huge fan of working out your mental health issues via BDSM but this was, nevertheless, entertaining. If for no other reason than the train wreck aspect alone. It's also the opening salvo of a series which I may read the remainder of but I'll definitely have to space out.
Deliver Us is, primarily, the story of two psychologically damaged men coming together under the guise of a BDSM relationship. I'm struggling with calling this BDSM simply because the power exchange between these guys is… well, whack. It's more like a group of guys who like to get their kink on. I read through a few reviews prior to reading it so I knew it tackled childhood sexual abuse. That is not my issue with this book, if it's a hot button for you, this is not the book for you. I hear about childhood sexual abuse regularly so I'm desensitized to it. It happens far more often than I'd care to think about & it's awful & tragic, but it's not gonna stop me from reading a book. It's the way it's handled that I'm struggling with; that Gabriel is using BDSM as a means of recovery, of exorcising his demons or even worse as a revenge by proxy against his stepfather. Case in point:
I was so hard on you, so rough and cruel to you during our sessions because I wanted to push you away. I know we joked about it, but I did want to scare you away. I wanted you to hate me, to be afraid of me. But it didn’t... it didn’t fucking work! You’re too strong, too stubborn, too damn resilient….I call the shots. I make the rules. I keep things in control. I’m not in control anymore. I don’t know the rules. Please, make me leave, Darrek. Tell me to get the fuck out. Tell me I’m a horrible person, that I don’t deserve you and your sweetness, that I’m sick and perverted and disgusting. I want you to. Please! Please make me leave, because I can’t.
I wouldn't go as far as saying Gabriel's abusing his clients but a Dom not in control is no Dom &, quite frankly, frightening. Hopefully in the past he was more successful than this:
You can’t use your safeword to get out of this, slave. I’m telling you that ahead of time. This is over when I say it is. But when it’s over, it’s over and is something we will never need to discuss again. It will be done. Understood?(Gabriel's reactions whilst punishing Darreck are (a) crying & (b)…When he opens his eyes, he sees Gabriel covering his face with both his hands, the belt discarded, and there’s a crazy moment when Darrek wants to comfort him.
*shudders* This is over a kiss with another guy about a week (give or take) into their "relationship". A kiss! They haven't even had the exclusive discussion! Needless to say, it devolves further after these incidents then takes a 180 & the "power exchange" gets even more whack!
My second issue is also fairly represented by the above block quotes in that it exemplifies typical behavior of virtually all of the characters. I'm sorry, did I pick up a m/f book? I didn't think so but the amount of melodrama in this thing sure makes it feel like an estrogen fest. At times I felt like I was reading the kinked up, "m/m" version of FSoG. IMO, it screams m/f masquerading as m/m with all the contrived angst, overreactions & an inordinate amount of crying, sobbing, whining & giggling. On top of all that, the sheer dearth of self-esteem, self-worth or even a semblance of a positive self-image was staggering & tedious. I'd be willing to pay for any of these guys to get into some therapy so I didn't have to be bombarded by wave after wave of self-deprecation, insecurity & jealousy fueled possessiveness. I'm having trouble believing these are the actions of men period due to there being copious amounts of cliched sayings/actions that are generally considered stereotypical male behaviors i.e. a woman's interpretation of how she thinks men act. In short, it feels artificial which leads me to my third issue.
Darreck at the onset of this book is straight. He's recently been royally screwed over by his fiancée, had a one nighter with a girl who spanked him then decided he wanted to explore his masochistic tendencies. His best friend & secret admirer, Kyle, encourages him to call Diadem (where Kyle's been secretly meeting his Dom/Master Ben) so he can begin slave training; they set him up with Gabey (seriously?) who wends up fucking him during their first scene together-something he reportedly never does. Darreck takes this in stride. The whole thing. What? *looks around to see if anyone else thinks this is weird* I kept waiting for the freak out. There is some internal musing about having been "fucked by a guy" that lasts all of 3 mins then he's asking Gabey out, about 5 seconds after that he's sobbing & telling Gabey how much he "loves" him &-yup, you guessed it-off with the condoms & in moves Gabriel. So, the gist is a hangnail is cause for alarm & probably a good cry but switching teams is no biggie. o_O
Still this seems to be the overall theme of the book. Every situation that ordinarily would be difficult, challenging, alarming or even life altering for the average person is handled in a trite, almost dismissive way. Yet, the amount of time that's spent musing about the dog or dinner or the video feeds is (I guess)super important; IMO there's a dizzying amount of minutiae that could've been edited out. Whereas most of the critical life issues are handled in a way that's too neat, too tidy, too convenient to be taken seriously. Then again, it's romance fiction so perhaps my standards are unrealistic. All that being said, if you can overlook/adjust to the whacked out BDSM elements & read this as a group of emotionally unstable guys who make impulsive & reckless decisions, have self-destructive coping skills, are melodramatic & use sex far too often to "solve" their problems then this is the literary equivalent of the hitting the lottery.
On a more positive note, IMHO it's a fairly good representation of both PTSD & BPD. I'm not a huge fan of working out your mental health issues via BDSM but this was, nevertheless, entertaining. If for no other reason than the train wreck aspect alone. It's also the opening salvo of a series which I may read the remainder of but I'll definitely have to space out.
May 7, 2013
I finally got around to reading this book after having it sitting on the Kindle for a while. I think I was getting up the courage to delve into the pretty intense world of BDSM that is Deliver Us.
When reading the book I found myself alternating between a strange compulsion to keep reading and a desire to put it down when things got a little on the heavy side - because this book doesn't shy way from explicit scenes of very heavy BDSM play with lots of pain! There was pain for pain's sake, not pleasure. There was piercing, water sports and use of strange devices for sensory deprivation.
The story focuses on Darrek, a straight man who gets a taste of being dominated from an ex-girlfriend, which results in him visiting a BDSM club. There he is partnered with Gabriel.
Both characters are fascinating, as are the secondary characters in the book. Along with the strong sexual element, the story deals with the impact of abuse. The relationship between Gabriel and Darrek explores the concept of dominance and submission, trust and love.
I didn't feel entirely comfortable reading this book. I didn't necessarily connect with the characters. But still it was an interesting journey. Be prepared, it is also a relatively long book. 3.5 stars
When reading the book I found myself alternating between a strange compulsion to keep reading and a desire to put it down when things got a little on the heavy side - because this book doesn't shy way from explicit scenes of very heavy BDSM play with lots of pain! There was pain for pain's sake, not pleasure. There was piercing, water sports and use of strange devices for sensory deprivation.
The story focuses on Darrek, a straight man who gets a taste of being dominated from an ex-girlfriend, which results in him visiting a BDSM club. There he is partnered with Gabriel.
Both characters are fascinating, as are the secondary characters in the book. Along with the strong sexual element, the story deals with the impact of abuse. The relationship between Gabriel and Darrek explores the concept of dominance and submission, trust and love.
I didn't feel entirely comfortable reading this book. I didn't necessarily connect with the characters. But still it was an interesting journey. Be prepared, it is also a relatively long book. 3.5 stars
March 7, 2016
I am not sure what to say about this book. I picked it up knowing there was going to be a crossover coming with the outstanding Don't... but other than that, did not know much about it. This book pushed my comfort zone, and was far from perfect. There was so much that should not have worked for me, yet I could not stop reading it.
The premise, Darrek a straight man has a first brutal BDSM session with two male doms, including Gabe, and what follows is insta-love and becoming a submissive in a gay D/s relationship. The secondary characters include Darrek's best friend Kyle, who suggested the BDSM session to Darrek, and Gabe's friend Ben, another Dom, have their own connection. Darrek and Gabe, especially, both have serious issues that affect the nature of their relationship. In fact, nobody in this book is emotionally or psychologically stable. There are A LOT of hard BDSM sex scenes in this book that definitely had me squeamish at times, but there was also a real sweetness in the MC's relationship that kept me reading.
I will definitely pick up the next book, which will focus on Kyle and Ben.
The premise, Darrek a straight man has a first brutal BDSM session with two male doms, including Gabe, and what follows is insta-love and becoming a submissive in a gay D/s relationship. The secondary characters include Darrek's best friend Kyle, who suggested the BDSM session to Darrek, and Gabe's friend Ben, another Dom, have their own connection. Darrek and Gabe, especially, both have serious issues that affect the nature of their relationship. In fact, nobody in this book is emotionally or psychologically stable. There are A LOT of hard BDSM sex scenes in this book that definitely had me squeamish at times, but there was also a real sweetness in the MC's relationship that kept me reading.
I will definitely pick up the next book, which will focus on Kyle and Ben.
November 2, 2023
ok...i read the bad reviews on goodreads as i started to read this..and i admit they nearly made me stop reading but i couldn't...ok...some said the bdsm was unbelievable,well it is a fictional story not real life....it was very hardcore and i'm only used to milder bdsm.but i loved this book..it took awhile for me to get into it and was wondering where this story could go but omg i loved this book...the story between Darrek and Gabe...and between Ben and Kyle was amazing.....i felt more sorry for gabe and was in tears at the scene with his mom...i never felt as close to a character for awhile...gabe made you feel his pain and abuse and i wanted to just reach in and hug him..then slap him when he thought he wasn't worthy of being loved..i for one can't wait to read the second book and have just found out that there's a third invovling micah and trace..i will definitely read them but i think i need a break while i come down of my high....this is the third hottest book i've read this week..so i think i'll take that cold shower now and some strong painkillers too xx
February 12, 2013
Very good read. I will not summarize the story, many have done very well below.
The relationship between Darrek and Gabriel is interesting. The BDSM scenes well written. There are enough of them to please everyone. There is a little too many sex scenes for me, as usual, but since they serve to strengthen the ties between the two MCs and are interspersed with drama, they are o.k. too.
The only bad thing is that Gabriel is a disturbed character because of his childhood. Why all the authors of BDSM seem to think and promote the idea that all Doms are mentally ill? I've known a few and they were more psychologically stable than most people. The Doms have not all had child abusers for parents.
Note that the sequel is available: From Temptation
The relationship between Darrek and Gabriel is interesting. The BDSM scenes well written. There are enough of them to please everyone. There is a little too many sex scenes for me, as usual, but since they serve to strengthen the ties between the two MCs and are interspersed with drama, they are o.k. too.
The only bad thing is that Gabriel is a disturbed character because of his childhood. Why all the authors of BDSM seem to think and promote the idea that all Doms are mentally ill? I've known a few and they were more psychologically stable than most people. The Doms have not all had child abusers for parents.
Note that the sequel is available: From Temptation
November 19, 2012
Despite the many unrealistic bdsm aspects (the author does give warnings about this) and insta love that happens in this story, I was pulled in and became fully engaged in the relationships of these guys. The story does drag on a bit at times and is a little long, I still really enjoyed this story. There are a few story lines going on at once, which kept things interesting. There are quite a few really hot scenes and some that were a bit sad. I'm really looking forward to the next book to see more of Kyle and Ben.
November 19, 2013
I have so many issues with this book I have no idea where to start.
I still can't get used to Kellings third person present tense writing.
This book needs a professional edit to tidy up more that a few inconsistencies.
There are too many scenarios that I did not believe in. The straight-to-gay in an hour flat. The sudden acceptance of you are my master and I am yours by the end of the 2nd session. Everything happens so fast that there is no chance for credibility.
It's like a soap drama: Drama drama drama - two best friends who are Doms fall for two best friends who are subs and they all get together and share the drama ...yeah, I'm not finding any of it believable.
So many eye roll moments, so many 'WTF ...fuck this shit, I'm done' moments and yet I was still compelled to read on. These guys did eventually ...toward the end evoke some feeling from me and I wanted to know how it all works out.
The BDSM is for me quite inventive, I haven't read that much of it that I claim to have read it all. There are some uncomfortable scenes here where big mistakes by the Dom are made. I didn't like it. There are also some scenes that had me hanging on the edge and gawping at this author's inventiveness. I think she covered everything there is to cover here. Phew ...it was exhausting and dare I say kind of exciting too.
I admit I find myself confused by the dynamic of this pairing and where it will lead. The whole switch thing threw me to the point where I had another WTF toss-the-kindle-moment.
I'm not sure I'm ready or even interested in pursuing this series but I'll see ...maybe. Thinking back it was almost okay overall and I think if you can suspend your disbelief for it's entirety you'll be fine.
I still can't get used to Kellings third person present tense writing.
This book needs a professional edit to tidy up more that a few inconsistencies.
There are too many scenarios that I did not believe in. The straight-to-gay in an hour flat. The sudden acceptance of you are my master and I am yours by the end of the 2nd session. Everything happens so fast that there is no chance for credibility.
It's like a soap drama: Drama drama drama - two best friends who are Doms fall for two best friends who are subs and they all get together and share the drama ...yeah, I'm not finding any of it believable.
So many eye roll moments, so many 'WTF ...fuck this shit, I'm done' moments and yet I was still compelled to read on. These guys did eventually ...toward the end evoke some feeling from me and I wanted to know how it all works out.
The BDSM is for me quite inventive, I haven't read that much of it that I claim to have read it all. There are some uncomfortable scenes here where big mistakes by the Dom are made. I didn't like it. There are also some scenes that had me hanging on the edge and gawping at this author's inventiveness. I think she covered everything there is to cover here. Phew ...it was exhausting and dare I say kind of exciting too.
I admit I find myself confused by the dynamic of this pairing and where it will lead. The whole switch thing threw me to the point where I had another WTF toss-the-kindle-moment.
I'm not sure I'm ready or even interested in pursuing this series but I'll see ...maybe. Thinking back it was almost okay overall and I think if you can suspend your disbelief for it's entirety you'll be fine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2012
I'm going to preface this by saying I have read, Uneven and I at least Felt for the MCs. In this book it just didn't happen for me. The author brought out every implement you can imagine in a S&M dungeon and the characters performed everything you can imagine in that fetish. Oh wait, and that's not all. Add water sports and this book is swimming with all kind of S&M acts but low on making you give a diddle damn about the MCs. If you have a hankering for S&M and don't really mind to not find the MCs interesting, this is the book for you. I really WANTED to like this book. I tried to get through it and on the fifth day yelled, "calf rope," and gave up on it.
September 1, 2013
I hate to have to say this, but I read this on holiday, and now that I am sitting here writing my review, I can't remember enough to write anything. The other books I read while away haven't had this problem, so I can only come to the conclusion that while I enjoyed this while reading it, nothing has really stuck with me.
I may have to skim through it again to see if I can be bothered reading the next installment.
Re-read August 2013
I gave this one another shot before reading the next book. I will admit to enjoying it much more the second time around, and I would probably rate it 4 Stars this time.
I may have to skim through it again to see if I can be bothered reading the next installment.
Re-read August 2013
I gave this one another shot before reading the next book. I will admit to enjoying it much more the second time around, and I would probably rate it 4 Stars this time.
partially-read-stalled
December 28, 2014No star rating given because 'didn't like it' doesn't cut it...we need a star rating for 'Ewwwww' & 'icky' & 'life is too short to bother'.
Pick a kink, any kink & you will find it in this book...invariably it will be wielded without passion...forget 'safe, sane & consensual'...reality is tossed out in the opening chapter & to top it all off, the 3rd person writing style will keep you at arms length almost ensuring that you won't connect with the characters...I read about 1/4 of this book & admitted defeat...& before you attack me, I wasn't 'shocked' by the kinky stuff, I was merely bored by the passionless, almost robotic, delivery of what should have been a sexy, sensual story.
Pick a kink, any kink & you will find it in this book...invariably it will be wielded without passion...forget 'safe, sane & consensual'...reality is tossed out in the opening chapter & to top it all off, the 3rd person writing style will keep you at arms length almost ensuring that you won't connect with the characters...I read about 1/4 of this book & admitted defeat...& before you attack me, I wasn't 'shocked' by the kinky stuff, I was merely bored by the passionless, almost robotic, delivery of what should have been a sexy, sensual story.
April 28, 2024
DNF @65% - This book is just an example of a "Dom" abusing his "sub" over and over, and the repeat sex is actually boring me *gasp* - it's taken me over a week to get 65% in because this story is not holding my interest at all.
October 18, 2012
Deliver Us was Crazy Intense, Definitley not a Book for Everyone, But I Loved It!!
Can't Wait For Book 2!!
Peace-Out:)
Can't Wait For Book 2!!
Peace-Out:)
January 24, 2013
I love Lynn Kelling's voice...this is a compelling read. I couldn't put it down - read it straight through in one sitting.
July 20, 2013
Made it up to 38%, but can't do it anymore. The writing style was ok, at least it got me to reading on, wanting to know what happens next. In the beginning our straight hero went to this private BSDM club to experience something new. Naive as he was, he started his first scene and already there it started for me to be a horrible story. Poor guy got all his hard limits, which were already only a few, blatantly ignored. Safeword issued, then duct taped sorry that came later, first it was a ball gag, shut his mouth without any other means to stop the whole thing only to in the end have sex with the dom. Result? Straight hero was smitten, yes, indeed. Met his dom again, private and at the club and suddenly being a happy gay man saying things like 'I'm yours! I'll do whatever you want me to do'. Yes, and let's not forget the friend who supplied the phone number in the first place. Another bdsm relationship with a dom bulldozing away all with the justification 'I've got you!'. Yes, I'm a bit aggravated. First the dom/sub relationships and then suddenly, don't know when, all this moved into a big soap opera. I love you, no you don't love me, don't leave me, I won't leave you, if you take this punishment I will never leave you, yes, I'll do everything just don't leave me. Oh my. And then I got to the watersports scene and after that Ben and Kyle's big revelation scene and that was that.
I really like reading BDSM stories, but what I had to read in this book was more like bullying. Not a pleasant reading experience.
I really like reading BDSM stories, but what I had to read in this book was more like bullying. Not a pleasant reading experience.
November 5, 2014
So this book was just not for me, for many reasons. First, Second, I thought the relationship between Gabriel and Darrek was way too rushed - it felt more like an obsession than anything else. The dynamics between the MCs and even the secondary characters were just off for me. Then there was the sex. Wow. Don't get me wrong, most of it was smoking hot, but it felt more like "lets see how many different BDSM elements we can squeeze in one story without it furthering the storyline along." I like a steamy romance but this was a bit too much even for me. Finally, All in all, this was just not for me. :(
May 30, 2012
I should love this book! But I hated it I hated! Initially I abandoned Deliver Us on pg 125...it was so unrealistic, excessive and over the top I felt compelled to bail. Bored Memorial Day weekend and in no mood to BBQ a damn thing I decided to give it a second try...Overall this just wasn't the book for me & I just finished reading Richard Rider's Stockholm books 1&2! I love torture fiction and dark D/s erotica but I ABHOR psychologically fucked up Doms. You shouldn't get to mind fuck anyone without psychotropic meds & loads of therapy honey!
The reader is supposed to empathize with Gabe's horrific childhood and to an infinitesimal degree I did, but his past was NO excuse for his treatment of Darrek and of other submissives. This could have been a great read, the writing is solid but the lack of research on BDSM relationships, on scene safety, the sociopathic characterizations of Dominants...makes this a 2 star book for me.
The reader is supposed to empathize with Gabe's horrific childhood and to an infinitesimal degree I did, but his past was NO excuse for his treatment of Darrek and of other submissives. This could have been a great read, the writing is solid but the lack of research on BDSM relationships, on scene safety, the sociopathic characterizations of Dominants...makes this a 2 star book for me.
March 26, 2013
Just a fantastic dark read. A little heavier on the BDSM side than I'm used to, but the characters were engaging. There was so much emotional pain and heavy, dark issues involved in the story but it didn't affect the relationships - they worked together to overcome things. It was slightly disturbing while being absolutely riveting. Definitely not for the faint of heart though. If you're into the dark side of the genre though, I think you'll love it.
March 19, 2012
This may be one of the hottest BDSM books I've ever read. One of the things that delights me about Kelling's work is the intensity of both the sex and the character journeys. Once I start reading something by her, the rest of the world disappears and I can't stop util I've reached the end. It's quite a ride.
February 25, 2013
Like a fool that I am, I actually started reading this before coming onto GR and realizing it's on my DNR/probably-not shelf.
Ah. That explains a lot.
On a side note, man does Lynn Kelling love third-person-omniscient present tense...
Ah. That explains a lot.
On a side note, man does Lynn Kelling love third-person-omniscient present tense...
January 17, 2015
Loved it!
I couldn't get enough. I have never read a story with so much packed within the pages. The story line was pretty dramatic and depressing. Every little detail flowed together and kept me wanting more. The only problem i had was that it was predictable once i got half way through. But even through that i really enjoyed it.
The story is more about the love of family. What family will do to save you. Even though Gabe and Dare were shunned by their "real" families, they found friends who they would go to the end of the world for. That is family.
Trace is one i would have loved to read more about. He seemed so dangerous when he was around. One look and he could bring anyone to their knees. As strong as Micah is, it was a nice image to have of Trace overpowering him and taking him on a table.
Micah is the one who did what nobody else could do, out of loyalty and respect for Trace.
Ben found his love where he least expected, with a bratty little sub named Kyle. Even though it is clear that Ben is the Master Kyle always tops his way into getting exactly what he wants.
Kyle fell in love with his best friend Dare, but his friend is straight. Keeping his love hidden for years he goes to Ben for an escape. Later to only accidentally give Dare to another.
Darrek is a switch at heart even though he leans more toward his submissive side. He ends up under Gabriel's capable hands and never leaves. He and Gabe for a relationship that gives them everything they never had. Dare needed the pain, Gabe needed love.
Gabriel is the center of the story. Everybody has their own lives but still leads them back to Gabe and his troubles. Everyone showed their love in their own way and did what it took to make sure Gabe would be okay.
I loved it all. And when it came to the sex, it was spine tingling! This is extreme edge play at is best. Anything the fits your kink is probably in this story. M/m, m/m/m/m, voyeurism, a daddy scene or two, a little topping for the bottom, breath play, needles, bondage, cock torture, watersports, humiliation, and fisting!
I couldn't get enough. I have never read a story with so much packed within the pages. The story line was pretty dramatic and depressing. Every little detail flowed together and kept me wanting more. The only problem i had was that it was predictable once i got half way through. But even through that i really enjoyed it.
The story is more about the love of family. What family will do to save you. Even though Gabe and Dare were shunned by their "real" families, they found friends who they would go to the end of the world for. That is family.
Trace is one i would have loved to read more about. He seemed so dangerous when he was around. One look and he could bring anyone to their knees. As strong as Micah is, it was a nice image to have of Trace overpowering him and taking him on a table.
Micah is the one who did what nobody else could do, out of loyalty and respect for Trace.
Ben found his love where he least expected, with a bratty little sub named Kyle. Even though it is clear that Ben is the Master Kyle always tops his way into getting exactly what he wants.
Kyle fell in love with his best friend Dare, but his friend is straight. Keeping his love hidden for years he goes to Ben for an escape. Later to only accidentally give Dare to another.
Darrek is a switch at heart even though he leans more toward his submissive side. He ends up under Gabriel's capable hands and never leaves. He and Gabe for a relationship that gives them everything they never had. Dare needed the pain, Gabe needed love.
Gabriel is the center of the story. Everybody has their own lives but still leads them back to Gabe and his troubles. Everyone showed their love in their own way and did what it took to make sure Gabe would be okay.
I loved it all. And when it came to the sex, it was spine tingling! This is extreme edge play at is best. Anything the fits your kink is probably in this story. M/m, m/m/m/m, voyeurism, a daddy scene or two, a little topping for the bottom, breath play, needles, bondage, cock torture, watersports, humiliation, and fisting!
September 24, 2024
I read a wide range of books that span every genre. I wasn't sure if I should purchase this book but I've been in a mode to try new authors and ideas. Deliver Us is not an easy book to read. It's about two men who fall in love in an unusual manner. An instinctive trust in the other gives both of them the strength to face down inner demons and embrace a future full of hope, passion and love. This story has a darker edge of BDSM that pushed the boundaries of my imagination. A key part of the story is abuse: child abuse, physical, mental and emotional abuse. If any of those are triggers for you, don't read this book.
The reason why it took me a while to read this book is because the story made me think a lot outside of the book and how that would be like in life. Most of the topics are harsh and hard to think about for any prolonged length of time. The core of this book is one of hope, love and strong relationships between lovers, friends and family. Yet all of it is shaded by the painful scars.
Parts of the story came off as very trite and over-dramatic. For me, the best part of the story is Dare and Gabe's journeys that forms a startlingly intense and passionate relationship. The way they learn about each other, themselves, get wrecked on the sharp edges of fear and sigh trembling in the safety of each other's arms is beautiful.
My favorite scene is towards the end of the book. I love the way Dare shows Gabe how he loves him. I love that their relationship is not based on any particular set of rules. That the one rule that they follow is to love each other.
The reason why it took me a while to read this book is because the story made me think a lot outside of the book and how that would be like in life. Most of the topics are harsh and hard to think about for any prolonged length of time. The core of this book is one of hope, love and strong relationships between lovers, friends and family. Yet all of it is shaded by the painful scars.
Parts of the story came off as very trite and over-dramatic. For me, the best part of the story is Dare and Gabe's journeys that forms a startlingly intense and passionate relationship. The way they learn about each other, themselves, get wrecked on the sharp edges of fear and sigh trembling in the safety of each other's arms is beautiful.
My favorite scene is towards the end of the book. I love the way Dare shows Gabe how he loves him. I love that their relationship is not based on any particular set of rules. That the one rule that they follow is to love each other.
July 13, 2016
WOW !!
Gabriel and Darreck !!
Both have a troubled past but Gabe's past is the most troubled. What he went through UGH !! I wanted to get in the book and hug him while plotting a VERY NASTY TORTUROUS death for the person responsible for the harm caused to him.
Lynn Kelling is new to me as an author but she has definitely written herself into my memory with the way she wrote this. Right from page 1 i was hooked, i loved how, as a BDSM themed book, she held no punches as to what the characters did and went through, which to me, shows how much she must have researched whilst writing it. I thought ALL the characters were really well written, and loved how she didn't give too much away about the side characters. This will take you on a roller coaster of emotions but really is one hell of an amazing journey !!! Absolutely LOVED IT !!
Gabriel and Darreck !!
Both have a troubled past but Gabe's past is the most troubled. What he went through UGH !! I wanted to get in the book and hug him while plotting a VERY NASTY TORTUROUS death for the person responsible for the harm caused to him.
Lynn Kelling is new to me as an author but she has definitely written herself into my memory with the way she wrote this. Right from page 1 i was hooked, i loved how, as a BDSM themed book, she held no punches as to what the characters did and went through, which to me, shows how much she must have researched whilst writing it. I thought ALL the characters were really well written, and loved how she didn't give too much away about the side characters. This will take you on a roller coaster of emotions but really is one hell of an amazing journey !!! Absolutely LOVED IT !!
May 13, 2017
Loved it. The author does an amazing job developing these characters, they all have strong and very individual personalities. It was one of the best parts of the book, to watch them interact with each other, esp Ben and Kyle - loved their relationship. Also, the way that Gabe and Derrek's relationship grows and changes is so perfectly done, the pacing is excellent and the author makes everything that happens so very realistic. I think this is the most effective job of writing in the present tense I've read and I love the way the author will jump ahead briefly in the story and then fill us in a few moments later - absolutely flawless.
September 28, 2015
For all the flaws in the beginning scenes, and the few niggling irritations, I really enjoyed this story.
I enjoyed how Gabriel and Derrek developed their relationship, and the hunger for something solid and resilient kept them on their journey.
The bi-play with the other characters added another level of loyalty for this couple.
There was a LOT of sex, but it was still a good story. I'm eager to read the next one.
I enjoyed how Gabriel and Derrek developed their relationship, and the hunger for something solid and resilient kept them on their journey.
The bi-play with the other characters added another level of loyalty for this couple.
There was a LOT of sex, but it was still a good story. I'm eager to read the next one.
February 1, 2020
I had mixed feelings about this book. Some parts were so good and I loved the, but for most of the book I struggle so bad to even finish it. It wasn’t the writing, which I found fine. It was an issue with the main characters, who I just couldn’t care for at all. I don’t think is a constant thing with the author, because there was a secondary character who I absolutely loved and another one who, not particularly love, but I was very intrigued and I wanted to know more of him.
It might be my expectations about the book what made me feel a bit underwhelmed by it, because it isn’t really bad, but I was expecting so much more than I got. What I found interesting is that, even struggling to finish it, I’m still feeling attracted enough to the series and some characters, to keep reading the next one. It might have something to do, the fact that I’d read other books by the author, therefore know her ability to create beautiful stories. For the moment, I’ll keep giving the next in the series an opportunity so see how it goes.
It might be my expectations about the book what made me feel a bit underwhelmed by it, because it isn’t really bad, but I was expecting so much more than I got. What I found interesting is that, even struggling to finish it, I’m still feeling attracted enough to the series and some characters, to keep reading the next one. It might have something to do, the fact that I’d read other books by the author, therefore know her ability to create beautiful stories. For the moment, I’ll keep giving the next in the series an opportunity so see how it goes.
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