As the bright lights of Hollywood dim, futures, relationships, and identities are thrown into question. The once successful television show, Ben’s Life, is in big trouble. For Steve Michaels, the director, in a long-term Dom/sub relationship with Zack Greene, the lead actor, this means impending unemployment.
Through training Josh as their domestic slave, coupled with the care he received during recovery from a debilitating car accident, Steve opens himself up to role reversal in his relationship with Zack. The occasional release of control on Steve’s part, and Zack’s adeptness at taking it, grants them freedom and stability to meet challenges as a unit.
But when the life they had planned is put in jeopardy by one phone call, Steve and Zack will need to expand the safe haven they’ve created together to include one more. Priorities shift and a different light shines the way to new beginnings.
Liz Borino transcribes the world inside her head onto the page, and share it with the people who are stuck in the “real world” to makes their lives a little more interesting. Because in her world, heroes fall and stand up again with the help of their partners and friends. Liz’s world is littered with formidable obstacles, which her heroes overcome with a fire of courage and passion. The beauty of love between two men is celebrated. Who wouldn’t want to live there? When not with her heroes, Liz enjoys exploring cities, working toward social justice, and editing for other authors. Liz is less than three months from obtaining her Masters’ degree in English and published nine books since 2010.
3.5 This was a difficult book for me to rate. The story of Steve and Zack and their continually evolving life together would be a solid 4 rating. I like them, I love how they are together and I can believe they are capable of long term and always.
They are battling the possible cancellation of their show, which leads to stress, as well as the requirement of basically lying to the rest of the cast as to the reason they are promoting the show. Add in the decision to switch, Zack being in control, Steve being bottom, and you get a very interesting exploration of a D/s relationship. I wonder how this will work out, since Zack has always needed that structure, control and support in order to not be a “brat”. I am curious how Steve will reconcile being able to be that ‘top’ when he isn’t any more. Will Zack get that control he needs when he realizes he can exert authority beyond what Steve is demanding?
Their collaring of each other is sweet and lovely.
With the arrival of a previously unknown sister, their lives get complicated. They have enough love to make Sunni feel welcome and cared for (and that poor girl, she needs it), and I think she will be a great addition to their family. I am curious to see how they handle all the BDSM aspects of their relationship with her in the house. Zack has spankings and such as maintenance, how to do that with a child in the house?
What lost it a little bit for me was Josh. From Cutaway, I adored Josh and I wanted something amazing and happy for him. When he comes to Zack and Steve as their domestic slave, I had high hopes that this could be something special. What I felt instead, however, was that Josh did everything that was asked of him (omg, the hair was just a killer) and yet, he was right – they never, ever put him as a priority. No matter how hard he tried, what he did, they gave him excuses and push offs and I lost a lot of respect for both of them at that point. Knowing the lifestyle and still treating someone that way, it was sad.
This is a great ending (maybe?) to the series with both Zack and Steve in a good place and more in love than ever.
I have been following the story of Zack and Steve for a while now, and although the writing and editing could be better, I always enjoy the story they have to tell. In previous stories, it has concentrated more on Zack and Steve, where this time around they opened there home to some new characters., At the beginning Josh, who we met in the last story, was trying to find a way of living with the pair, and by the time I turned to the last page we had met Sunny, the until now unknown sister of Steve.
In this story, Zack and Steve tried switching their roles in the bedroom, which, much to my surprise worked well for them. Steve will always be the leader of their relationship but he learnt that by letting Zack take the lead occasionally, it is another way that Zack can take care of him. I enjoyed this side of Zack as well.
We also had a chance to catch up with all the other actors from the show that out two MC's work on.
That's a wrap was a quick read, but for as long as I can follow Zack and Steve on their journey, I will keep reading. I do hope that Liz Borino continues with this story, as I would love to see where their new life takes them.
That’s a Wrap is the third installment of Liz Borino’s Ben’s Life Series depicting the fictional show, Ben’s Life, a once-successful soap opera that has slowly seen declining ratings. The story further delves into the Dom/sub bond of Steve and Zack as they continue to explore their relationship professionally and more importantly personally.
The show Ben’s Life is being put into retirement and the cast will be going their separate ways, leaving Steve and Zack jobless, but able to pursue other ventures. Soon, impending unemployment is the least of their worries and Steve receives an unexpected phone call informing him that he has a sister he never knew existed and is in need of a permanent home.
Steve and Zack’s domesticity is tested with the addition of slave Josh, (from Cutaway) as he moves in with them and they all try to find their places in the homestead. Josh was written as a confused and needy character, which enhanced the dialogues between Steve and Zack and their further development. Ms. Borino’s progression of Steve and Zack’s relationship was wonderfully and intelligently done. Steve’s emotional and physical submission to sub Zack was credible and well delivered. The author’s display of Steve’s vulnerability and relinquishment of control was forthright and authentic. The seeds planted in the previous book were subtle and allowed for the believability. I connected with each of the characters in the story as they progressed from stage to stage in their lives; laughing, crying and smiling.
Ms. Borino is a wonderful story teller as this book picks up where Cutaway leaves off. Many times an author forgets previous story lines and characters when producing sequels, a fact which cannot be said of the Ben’s Life Series. I am not sure if the series will continue, but I can only hope. Loose ends were left at the conclusion of the story and I am desperate to peek into the lives of Steve and Zack as they enter a new phase in their lives; new jobs and fatherhood. A must read.
I found Liz Borino while looking for some good M/M BDSM books. I managed to find the first book in the "Ben's Life" series and instantly fell in love with Zack and Steve. Of course I had to buy the second and third book in the series when they came out. This book, the third in the series, is just as amazing as the first two. After the events of the previous books, I was curious what would come next for Zack and Steve. They bring their love to a whole new level. Steve still leads the relationship, but he gets to let go of his emotions and frustrations with Zack's help. You can feel their love coming through the words that Liz writes. I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading about a loving D/s relationship. Fabulous as always and can't wait to read the next one in the series.
That's a Wrap is the third book in the Mine Series. In this installment we find Steve and Zack even more committed to each other. In the ending of Cutaway I was left with a lot of questions, mainly how Josh was going to become a part of this relationship and how it was going to affect their partnership.
I thought Josh was a very confused guy. He truly didn't know what he wanted. He just thought he did because that was what he had done in the past. I think he just needed someone to really steer him in the right direction and I think he received that with Steve and Zack. I won't say I was disappointed to see him go, since I really could not connect to him, but I do think he made the right decision since what he chose what was best for him.
The writing was very good. It had a lot of the essential elements I look for in a book - humor, great dialog and an interesting storyline. Of course, the characters were amazing. I can't seem to get enough of Steve or Zack. And the new characters that were introduced were very interesting too. I especially enjoyed the range in emotions Liz Borino brought to the page. All the characters displayed their emotions beautifully and that made it easier for me to connect fully with them.
I enjoyed how the characters developed through the story. I loved how the author managed to make these changes very believable, especially the way Zack become more assertive and Steve submitted to him. Not only was it hot, but very well written. It was believable to me because Steve had it in him from his past and also because in some ways I got the feeling that he needed to do it for himself, especially since the accident in the previous book. The anticipation leading up to it was killing me since Steve first talked to Zack about it and when it happened it was AWESOME! Especially in the end when...well, I'm not going to spoil it for you. Anyway, I think that the switch really fits their relationship, even more now that they have made a greater commitment to each other.
The only concept I was hesitant with was Sunni and her situation. I just wondered how it would all be played out. But I liked Sunni. She broke my heart and I think she came at the right time in Zack and Steve's relationship. It helped that the topic was well researched and the details that were written were not overwhelming, but just enough for me to understand the situation.
I enjoyed this book thoroughly. I loved seeing how the relationship between Zack and Steve developed more, how Steve relinquished some control and opened himself to new possibilities - even parenthood! With this one I loved their commitment to each other, Steve's vulnerable side and the whole role reversal element that they added to their relationship. Ah, and the addition of Sunni made me interested in reading more about how they will manage having a family. Sunni was a complete surprise to me but welcomed nonetheless. With her presence I got to see another side of Steve and Zack, which I appreciated. And now with Drew, well I'm looking forward to it even more.
I would like to express my appreciation to Liz Borino for allowing me the pleasure of beta-reading this title and giving me the opportunity to further my experience in reading and reviewing. I truly did enjoy it!
The more of this series I read the less I understand BDSM relationships. OK, that’s not entirely true. What I find is that there are as many varieties of BDSM lifestyles as there are people who practice them, and Liz Borino’s THAT’S A WRAP is another piece of the puzzle. If you’ve read the first two books in the Mine series, ACTION and CUTAWAY, you know that Steve and Zach are a director and actor on a popular series called Ben’s Life, and Dom and sub in their private lives. Josh, formerly a slave to Steve’s friend Peter, is now living with Steve and Zach. Trying to meet Josh’s needs forces Steve and Zach to re-examine their own roles with each other. Josh wants both men to be his Doms. One of the most heartbreaking scenes is when Steve forces Josh to cut his long hair despite Josh’s very emotional reason for wanting to leave it long. Steve and Zach become switches, which is interesting in that it could cause them to lose the identities that put them together in the first place. I did not like the character Josh at first, but that may be because I just don’t “get” the slave mentality or needs. Josh kind of grew on me through the book, though, and even though I still can’t identify with him I can see his part in the development of the story. I think it was that “cut your hair or else” scene that put me square in Josh’s corner. As if they don’t have enough to deal with, the show both men work on is about to be cancelled if they can’t increase viewership by a large margin, so they go on tour with other cast members. Steve is not allowed to tell the other cast members why they are on tour, which creates a lot of tension for him since he feels that is dishonest. Then another monkey wrench is thrown at Steve when his mother’s drug abuse catches up with her and she is found unconscious in the squalor of a drug house with a thirteen-year-old daughter named Sunshine that Steve has never known about. Rather than allow her to go into the foster care system Steve brings her home and the question becomes whether Steve and Zach can provide the kind of stability his sister requires without giving up their lifestyle. And how does needy Josh fit into this ever changing picture? This is a well-crafted story that is plot-driven, with characters who may be different from any characters you’ve read about before. Ms Borino is a story developer who knows where her characters come from and where they are going. The reader is along for the ride. I hope this is not the last story in the series because I want to know what happens to Josh, Sunshine, and, of course, Steve and Zach. Too many loose threads at the end to just let it… end, right, Ms. Borino? This is an excellent look at BDSM lifestyles, but you really do need to read the series in order to fully enjoy THAT’S A WRAP.
Please see my complete review at http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.... and enter the drawing to win copies of ACTION and CUTAWAY. Contest ends December 16, 2012.
Another amazing installment to the Mine series. The ending of Cutaway left Josh standing at their doorway with his collar in hand. They make the decision to be his Doms, which leads them to explore further into their own relationship and they learn a new way to take care of each other. They do their best to fit Josh into their new lifestyle, even making him their personal assistant when they have to go on a press tour to try to help save their show, but they still struggle with him and meeting his needs. When they come home from the tour, their lives change further. Crystal, Steve’s mother, has hidden away a daughter for 13 years and she’s revealed to Steve and Zack when she is arrested and the girl is left in the care of Child Protective Services. With the unexpected addition to their family, Sunni gives them a new role in their lives as guardians/parents. I love the switch scenes in this book. The new level to their dynamic works very well and seems natural for them. That being said the proposal scene was my favorite scene. Zack’s brattiness hits a new level and after that is taken care of Steve pops the question. Steve explains it best when he tells Zack, “I think if you’re asking someone to spend their life with you, it should be when you’re both in your most normal states.” Absolutely perfect for them. These boys seem to handle everything life throws at them and through it all they will still have each other. Zack and Steve have proven they will take it all in stride and come out stronger in the end. Nothing can hold these guys back. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter of their lives.
Another winner by Liz Borino! "Thats a Wrap", the third in the Ben's life series, continues to explore the relationship between Steve and Zack. Even though they practice a BSDM lifestyle, they still deal with the same relationship issues that any couple faces...doubt, support, trust. When a friend, Josh, shows up on a full time basis in Zack and Steve's life, they have to re-evaluate their roles in their sexual relationship. When Steve's little sister falls in their lap, again the boys deal with an expanding family in the best way they know how.... support, love, communication, and acceptance. With each twist and turn, Steve and Zack hit new levels to be explored together. From the first page to the last, the novel kept me captivated with laughter, tears, and some steamy love scenes! Now, just waiting for the next novel so I can escape into the lives of Steve and Zack is the only disappointment I have!!
Although this is the last of the series, it didn't seem like it. There was no real ending. Even though there is a spinoff, I was expecting more closure. Still, the story was good, although there was an unexpected--and somewhat unrealistic--twist near the end.
Borino's writing, I'm happy to say, took a nice upturn. I no longer felt as focused on her words and was able to relax into the story more. The spinoff series is more highly rated. So, I hope this trend continues.
That’s a Wrap is a wonderful addition to the Mine series. Liz Borino does a wonderful job keeping the story and Zack and Steve’s relationship fresh. To read my review in its entirety, please click HERE.
Steve and Zach are faced with yet another round of challenges but yet they seem to be settling in together in the perfect way. They reach out to friends and take on big challenges but the peace between them as a couple is solid and heartwarming. Love their Wrap up. Hope the little tease at the end means another story for this brand new character.
AS GOOD AS ALWAYS, STEVE, AND ZACK GO THROUGH LIFE, BUT PROBLEMS TURN UP AT EVERY TURN. WATCH STEVE, AND ZACK BRAVE THROUGH, AND THEIR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER.A GREAT BOOK ENJOY IT AS I DID