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Drake Restrained #1
Drake Restrained 1
Drake Morgan, MD, Neurosurgeon, bass player, philanthropist – Dominant.
He doesn’t do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn’t do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan’s BDSM community.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect.
That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up.
Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten and things are going to get messy…
Drake Restrained is a novella in the Unrestrained Series, which explores the early days of the relationship between Drake and Kate from Drake’s point of view.
He doesn’t do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn’t do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan’s BDSM community.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect.
That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up.
Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten and things are going to get messy…
Drake Restrained is a novella in the Unrestrained Series, which explores the early days of the relationship between Drake and Kate from Drake’s point of view.
93 pages, Nook
First published March 24, 2014
22 people are currently reading
1025 people want to read
About the author
S.E. Lund
85 books1,037 followersS. E. (Elizabeth) Lund is a writer who lives on the side of a mountain in beautiful British Columbia, Canada with her family of humans and animals. She read Dracula when she was ten, and has been warped ever since. She reads many genres and writes in a few, including paranormal romantic suspense, high fantasy, and YA SF/F. Her books are available on Amazon Kindle, which can be read on any PC, Mac or Smartphone with the Kindle App, available in the App store and at Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
April 7, 2014
5 Delish Stars for Drake Restrained!
Prequel to the Unrestrained Series, this is from Drake's POV. Been waiting to hear from Drake and I loved every page of it. At the top of his profession, he's got everything just how he wants it. He keeps his career separate from his personal life, his lifestyle, which includes submissives, light bondage and dungeon parties. Despite everything he's worked hard to achieve, he knows something is missing from his life but he doesn't want to take the time to think about it too much. And then, Drake finally meets Katherine, and his world is turned upside down and inside out.
This is a great prequel that ties into The Agreement, Unrestrained #1. I LOVE hearing from Drake and would love to read more of Drake and Kate's story from his point of view.
Prequel to the Unrestrained Series, this is from Drake's POV. Been waiting to hear from Drake and I loved every page of it. At the top of his profession, he's got everything just how he wants it. He keeps his career separate from his personal life, his lifestyle, which includes submissives, light bondage and dungeon parties. Despite everything he's worked hard to achieve, he knows something is missing from his life but he doesn't want to take the time to think about it too much. And then, Drake finally meets Katherine, and his world is turned upside down and inside out.
This is a great prequel that ties into The Agreement, Unrestrained #1. I LOVE hearing from Drake and would love to read more of Drake and Kate's story from his point of view.
September 30, 2015
Neither a good romance nor a good BDSM tale. Hero exhibits some stalkery behavior. References 50 Shades as "those books"; seems to want to be the next 50 Shades, which is not a good thing to aim for in my opinion.
dnf
July 18, 2017
I just can't finish it! I tried though... I really did.
July 3, 2019
DNF. This was just PAINFUL.
November 16, 2019
Duration: 15 hrs 1 mins.
🔥Steamy Content!🔥
Drake Restrained, Book 1 by S. E. Lund is a dark, passionate story, perfect for fans of Fifty Sades of Grey.
Audible Summary: "Drake Morgan, MD, neurosurgeon, bass player, philanthropist - Dominant. He doesn't do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn't do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan's BDSM community.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music, and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect. That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up. Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten, and things are going to get messy....
©2015 Susan Elizabeth Lyons (P)2019 Susan Elizabeth Lyons."
Content Warning: This audiobook portrays a Dominant/submissive relationship but also contains elements outside of the contract which some may consider to be coercive and abusive.
When I picked up this audiobook I was expecting it to be a real tonic, after all it purports to be everything I keep saying I want in a book of this type. I don't think I've reviewed a steamy book without mentioning how much I like having the male POV included, so knowing that this story is told through Drake's eyes meant that it held my attention from the start. Whilst I don't care that Drake is wealthy, I was excited to see that he's a handsome, talented neurosurgeon, as I've swooned over many a fictional doctor in my time (as anyone who has tolerated my various obsessions with ER's Luca Kovac, Holby's Nick Jordan, or House MD's Greg House can attest). That he's also a little older than the heroine and loves classic British soft rock was the icing on the cake.
I was also looking forward to it because I love the narrator, Jack Calihan, and knew he would be the ideal choice for a character like Drake. As the heroine was called Kate, his performance certainly felt a little more intimate than it usually does - which definitely added an additional frisson to my listening time! Throw in a smattering of Calihan purring his now-infamous "Good girl..." and I suddenly didn't mind at all that this audiobook was 15 hours long.
Unfortunately, the more I listened, the clearer it became that there were several major flaws in this novel, with some of them being impossible to ignore. The thing I think many listeners will struggle with the most is Drake's behaviour, especially in the early part of the book. I think there's a responsibility when writing kink to be careful not to romanticise abusive behaviour, and be clear about what is actually part of the Lifestyle and when someone is crossing a line.
Though a lot of time was given over to explaining Drake's motivation from a kink perspective, it would not - as I understand it - best considered best practice within the community. Things like Drake's insistence that his sub would eventually be persuaded to perform at the club (rather than the focus being on exploring things that he felt would bring her pleasure, too) go a little against the supportive, consensual tenets underpinning the Lifestyle. There were several occasiona - long before Kate has signed a contract - when Drake ignores all her boundaries, and becomes almost obsessed with breaking her down to get his own way. He plans things like "getting some vodka into her" because he thinks she will be more receptive to his persuasion if she's drunk. In this regard it is a complete contrast to the last audiobook I listened to in this genre, Submission by LK Shaw. It's also quite unusual to have a Dom who doesn't like any form of pain or punishment but isn't caring/tender/loving with his submissives either. For someone who has been trained as a Dom, Drake also makes a lot of mistakes with both the subs we meet in this story, but the punishment demonstration felt like it was written with more care and attention than much of the rest, and Drake acknowledged his failings.
Drake's pursuit of Kate in the early chapters is a bit stalkery. When he calls her and she doesn't answer, he sends "lots of encouraging texts" pleading with her to meet with him and allow him to teach her about the Lifestyle, and when she ignores those too he goes to her apartment to try to persuade her. "I intended to stop by her apartment on my way home, see if I couldn't weasel my way inside and start my seduction of my very reluctant, very new submissive. That's the way I was going to think of Kate from that point forward; as my new submissive, even though she wasn't. I had to think like a conqueror or else I wouldn't display the kind of Dominance that attracted her to me." The language throughout is that of coercion and manipulation, caveated with the excuse that he believes she "wants it" and just hasn't realised it yet. If it were the villain behaving this way and not the romantic hero then it would be seen as the attitude of a Pick Up Artist-style chauvinist and an example of rape culture. (Which is ironic, as Drake is reluctant to indulge Ali's fantasy of being forced because he claims it doesn't turn him on.) He sends her a relentless barrage of texts and emails, often seeming a bit desperate. He was also quite hypocritical, turning up at the opera despite Kate not wanting him there with her family, thereby crossing the boundaries of of their agreement after being so angry with a previous partner for doing the same thing to him.
It all made it really difficult to like Drake, and even tougher to be attracted to him, which was mind-boggling given that on paper he ticks almost every box on my pick'n'mix romantic-hero wishlist. I did warm to him as the story unfolded, but it never really felt as if the listener truly got inside his head. It often appeared that he was simply narrating the story rather than living and breathing it. The intimate scenes that I expected to really delve into his pleasure and his experience often shied away from much detail. This happened a few times, and I found it particularly strange that this audiobook skipped over an early onanistic moment, which could have offered an opportunity to indulge Drake's fantasies and would have been a more welcome 'scene' than the lacklustre early encounters which were covered in far greater detail. It felt almost prudish not to explore the experience at all, given that this book is written from Drake's perspective and considering the explicit content elsewhere. Aside from the regular "jolt of adrenaline" he feels and the several dozen times he claims to be "rock hard/hard as a rock", a lot of Drake's desire and its fulfillment is sidelined by a focus on Kate's receipt of his attention. That was a little disappointing given that this is supposed to be his side of the story.
This audiobook's relationship with the intimate scenes in general was quite odd, at times. Drake's initial encounters were unfulfilling, for both the characters and the listener, which is an unexpected way to launch a series of erotic novels. It also finishes on a fade-to-black, which feels like quite a whimper to end on after investing so much time in a story.
Still, everything I've noted so far is subjective, and others may well like the fact that Drake will not take no for an answer and that the intimate scenes dial back the heat a little. Romance novels, and especially erotic ones, cannot possibly please everyone because we each have different limits and peccadilloes. The thing that really made this audiobook difficult for me to listen to was the terribly clumsy and repetitive writing. I appreciate that I'm especially picky when it comes to certain aspects of storytelling, but after listening to sentences like "She stood in front of me, her face turned away as if what I'd said was too hard to face," I really don't think I'm being too hard on this book. Mistakes slip beneath the notice of even the most fastidious editorial process, but when the instances are so numerous it's just not the quality I expect from a published novel by a prolific author. Other notable examples that would have seen me DNF this book had Calihan's narration not kept me immersed, include:
"Then our eyes met, and she looked at me for perhaps the first time since we'd met." and "Come here and sit on my lap," I said, patting my lap. She complied, sitting across my lap, her hands resting on my shoulders. Drake also referred to Katherine as "delicious" four times in the first forty minutes, then continued to do so at least once per chapter for the rest of the book.
Similar repetition occurs with disappointing frequency throughout. I hesitate to say 'on every page' because that is difficult to discern in an audiobook, but I do not imagine that it would take much riffling through a printed copy to find plenty of examples. With a lot more editing this could have been a far better book than it is, which made it rather frustrating to listen to because it felt as if it had been rushed out. Lund has created interesting, attractive characters and given them an enticing story in which to play, but the quality of the execution lets it down. The story and characters have been fairly well developed, but it felt like I was listening to an unfinished draft from a writers' workshop, or a beta-read; technically the components are there and in the right order, but the basic storytelling is lacking. This is also demonstrated by the odd chapter at the end where the protagonists summarise, in detail, the timeline of events that we have just listened to.
Regrettably, it appears that I'm going to leave Drake and Katherine feeling rather conflicted about their story. Now that I have come to know them, I'm intrigued by how they will fare in their next adventure, but I found their first outing tough going. Overall I think that this book would be perfect for fans of 50 Shades of Grey by EL James, especially those who enjoyed the books from Christian's perspective. Anyone who struggled with "those books", as Drake calls them, may find this series challenging for very similar reasons.
For my part, I'll keep looking for the book that I'd hoped this one would be. If you have any suggestions then please pop them into the comments!
*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
(Click here to buy this book, listen to a sample, or add it to your wishlist!)
If you liked this review then please join me for more!
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🔥Steamy Content!🔥
Drake Restrained, Book 1 by S. E. Lund is a dark, passionate story, perfect for fans of Fifty Sades of Grey.
Audible Summary: "Drake Morgan, MD, neurosurgeon, bass player, philanthropist - Dominant. He doesn't do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn't do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan's BDSM community.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music, and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect. That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up. Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten, and things are going to get messy....
©2015 Susan Elizabeth Lyons (P)2019 Susan Elizabeth Lyons."
Content Warning: This audiobook portrays a Dominant/submissive relationship but also contains elements outside of the contract which some may consider to be coercive and abusive.
When I picked up this audiobook I was expecting it to be a real tonic, after all it purports to be everything I keep saying I want in a book of this type. I don't think I've reviewed a steamy book without mentioning how much I like having the male POV included, so knowing that this story is told through Drake's eyes meant that it held my attention from the start. Whilst I don't care that Drake is wealthy, I was excited to see that he's a handsome, talented neurosurgeon, as I've swooned over many a fictional doctor in my time (as anyone who has tolerated my various obsessions with ER's Luca Kovac, Holby's Nick Jordan, or House MD's Greg House can attest). That he's also a little older than the heroine and loves classic British soft rock was the icing on the cake.
I was also looking forward to it because I love the narrator, Jack Calihan, and knew he would be the ideal choice for a character like Drake. As the heroine was called Kate, his performance certainly felt a little more intimate than it usually does - which definitely added an additional frisson to my listening time! Throw in a smattering of Calihan purring his now-infamous "Good girl..." and I suddenly didn't mind at all that this audiobook was 15 hours long.
Unfortunately, the more I listened, the clearer it became that there were several major flaws in this novel, with some of them being impossible to ignore. The thing I think many listeners will struggle with the most is Drake's behaviour, especially in the early part of the book. I think there's a responsibility when writing kink to be careful not to romanticise abusive behaviour, and be clear about what is actually part of the Lifestyle and when someone is crossing a line.
Though a lot of time was given over to explaining Drake's motivation from a kink perspective, it would not - as I understand it - best considered best practice within the community. Things like Drake's insistence that his sub would eventually be persuaded to perform at the club (rather than the focus being on exploring things that he felt would bring her pleasure, too) go a little against the supportive, consensual tenets underpinning the Lifestyle. There were several occasiona - long before Kate has signed a contract - when Drake ignores all her boundaries, and becomes almost obsessed with breaking her down to get his own way. He plans things like "getting some vodka into her" because he thinks she will be more receptive to his persuasion if she's drunk. In this regard it is a complete contrast to the last audiobook I listened to in this genre, Submission by LK Shaw. It's also quite unusual to have a Dom who doesn't like any form of pain or punishment but isn't caring/tender/loving with his submissives either. For someone who has been trained as a Dom, Drake also makes a lot of mistakes with both the subs we meet in this story, but the punishment demonstration felt like it was written with more care and attention than much of the rest, and Drake acknowledged his failings.
Drake's pursuit of Kate in the early chapters is a bit stalkery. When he calls her and she doesn't answer, he sends "lots of encouraging texts" pleading with her to meet with him and allow him to teach her about the Lifestyle, and when she ignores those too he goes to her apartment to try to persuade her. "I intended to stop by her apartment on my way home, see if I couldn't weasel my way inside and start my seduction of my very reluctant, very new submissive. That's the way I was going to think of Kate from that point forward; as my new submissive, even though she wasn't. I had to think like a conqueror or else I wouldn't display the kind of Dominance that attracted her to me." The language throughout is that of coercion and manipulation, caveated with the excuse that he believes she "wants it" and just hasn't realised it yet. If it were the villain behaving this way and not the romantic hero then it would be seen as the attitude of a Pick Up Artist-style chauvinist and an example of rape culture. (Which is ironic, as Drake is reluctant to indulge Ali's fantasy of being forced because he claims it doesn't turn him on.) He sends her a relentless barrage of texts and emails, often seeming a bit desperate. He was also quite hypocritical, turning up at the opera despite Kate not wanting him there with her family, thereby crossing the boundaries of of their agreement after being so angry with a previous partner for doing the same thing to him.
It all made it really difficult to like Drake, and even tougher to be attracted to him, which was mind-boggling given that on paper he ticks almost every box on my pick'n'mix romantic-hero wishlist. I did warm to him as the story unfolded, but it never really felt as if the listener truly got inside his head. It often appeared that he was simply narrating the story rather than living and breathing it. The intimate scenes that I expected to really delve into his pleasure and his experience often shied away from much detail. This happened a few times, and I found it particularly strange that this audiobook skipped over an early onanistic moment, which could have offered an opportunity to indulge Drake's fantasies and would have been a more welcome 'scene' than the lacklustre early encounters which were covered in far greater detail. It felt almost prudish not to explore the experience at all, given that this book is written from Drake's perspective and considering the explicit content elsewhere. Aside from the regular "jolt of adrenaline" he feels and the several dozen times he claims to be "rock hard/hard as a rock", a lot of Drake's desire and its fulfillment is sidelined by a focus on Kate's receipt of his attention. That was a little disappointing given that this is supposed to be his side of the story.
This audiobook's relationship with the intimate scenes in general was quite odd, at times. Drake's initial encounters were unfulfilling, for both the characters and the listener, which is an unexpected way to launch a series of erotic novels. It also finishes on a fade-to-black, which feels like quite a whimper to end on after investing so much time in a story.
Still, everything I've noted so far is subjective, and others may well like the fact that Drake will not take no for an answer and that the intimate scenes dial back the heat a little. Romance novels, and especially erotic ones, cannot possibly please everyone because we each have different limits and peccadilloes. The thing that really made this audiobook difficult for me to listen to was the terribly clumsy and repetitive writing. I appreciate that I'm especially picky when it comes to certain aspects of storytelling, but after listening to sentences like "She stood in front of me, her face turned away as if what I'd said was too hard to face," I really don't think I'm being too hard on this book. Mistakes slip beneath the notice of even the most fastidious editorial process, but when the instances are so numerous it's just not the quality I expect from a published novel by a prolific author. Other notable examples that would have seen me DNF this book had Calihan's narration not kept me immersed, include:
"Then our eyes met, and she looked at me for perhaps the first time since we'd met." and "Come here and sit on my lap," I said, patting my lap. She complied, sitting across my lap, her hands resting on my shoulders. Drake also referred to Katherine as "delicious" four times in the first forty minutes, then continued to do so at least once per chapter for the rest of the book.
Similar repetition occurs with disappointing frequency throughout. I hesitate to say 'on every page' because that is difficult to discern in an audiobook, but I do not imagine that it would take much riffling through a printed copy to find plenty of examples. With a lot more editing this could have been a far better book than it is, which made it rather frustrating to listen to because it felt as if it had been rushed out. Lund has created interesting, attractive characters and given them an enticing story in which to play, but the quality of the execution lets it down. The story and characters have been fairly well developed, but it felt like I was listening to an unfinished draft from a writers' workshop, or a beta-read; technically the components are there and in the right order, but the basic storytelling is lacking. This is also demonstrated by the odd chapter at the end where the protagonists summarise, in detail, the timeline of events that we have just listened to.
Regrettably, it appears that I'm going to leave Drake and Katherine feeling rather conflicted about their story. Now that I have come to know them, I'm intrigued by how they will fare in their next adventure, but I found their first outing tough going. Overall I think that this book would be perfect for fans of 50 Shades of Grey by EL James, especially those who enjoyed the books from Christian's perspective. Anyone who struggled with "those books", as Drake calls them, may find this series challenging for very similar reasons.
For my part, I'll keep looking for the book that I'd hoped this one would be. If you have any suggestions then please pop them into the comments!
*I received this audiobook free of charge in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
(Click here to buy this book, listen to a sample, or add it to your wishlist!)
If you liked this review then please join me for more!
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December 19, 2017
Having read The Agreement first and really enjoying it, I was hoping to get the same feelings from this book. I was a bit dissapointed. Of corse it was the same story (as I expected) but I dont really feel like I got a lot of extra perspective from Drake. In the last few chapters maybe, but the rest was pretty much a less interesting version of The Agreement. In the past I have really enjoyed books that have been written in a different perspective (such as Grey) but I think this one left a lot to be desired.
I also wanted to point out that this book has more than the 93 pages like good reads suggests. my kindle app says 428 pages.
I also wanted to point out that this book has more than the 93 pages like good reads suggests. my kindle app says 428 pages.
November 6, 2014
I like the flow, really. Smooth and slow. Its like building for something.
But TMI on the medical stuff. Its interesting but the information is on the verge of making it a medical book. I don't need all the specifics on neurosurgery, the basics will do. It made my eyes droopy.
But then, remember I say its like building for something. And it did! I like it when its nearing the ending, so... 3.5 star!
But TMI on the medical stuff. Its interesting but the information is on the verge of making it a medical book. I don't need all the specifics on neurosurgery, the basics will do. It made my eyes droopy.
But then, remember I say its like building for something. And it did! I like it when its nearing the ending, so... 3.5 star!
January 9, 2015
This was a great start to the series, I really enjoyed getting Drake's POV.
December 20, 2019
I listened to the audio version which was 15 hrs and 1 minute. This book went on forever. I thought the narrator did a good job with what he had to work with in this book. I almost didn't finish listening to it, but I forced myself to finish.
Drake only participated in the Bondage, Domination and Submission part of BDSM. Kate was interested in learning more about the lifestyle. I don't know much about the lifestyle, but it seemed to be like Drake went from being a Dom to being pretty inconsistent when he was in the relationship with Kate.
Before any of that, he was way to pushy when she kept saying she wasn't interested. I don't know about this book. It all felt off to me. I wasn't offended by anything, because it honestly seemed kind of tame. It was more like this story went on and on and on and on.......I wondered if it was ever going to end.
Drake started out being kind of interesting and veered off into wishy washy stalkerdom. Kate was never interesting. The two of them together were just boring. There was no chemistry, no sexual tension, nothing about either character that I could really say I liked. After a while, I didn't care what happened to either of them, individually or collectively. The only saving grace was the narration, and my mind often wandered trying to maintain interest in the storyline.
I understand that this is only book 1. I can't imagine having to drag through more of this book. I can't imaging it getting any better. I can only say that you should listen to or read it for yourself and judge accordingly. I voluntarily listened to and reviewed this audiobook that I received from someplace I don't remember.
Drake only participated in the Bondage, Domination and Submission part of BDSM. Kate was interested in learning more about the lifestyle. I don't know much about the lifestyle, but it seemed to be like Drake went from being a Dom to being pretty inconsistent when he was in the relationship with Kate.
Before any of that, he was way to pushy when she kept saying she wasn't interested. I don't know about this book. It all felt off to me. I wasn't offended by anything, because it honestly seemed kind of tame. It was more like this story went on and on and on and on.......I wondered if it was ever going to end.
Drake started out being kind of interesting and veered off into wishy washy stalkerdom. Kate was never interesting. The two of them together were just boring. There was no chemistry, no sexual tension, nothing about either character that I could really say I liked. After a while, I didn't care what happened to either of them, individually or collectively. The only saving grace was the narration, and my mind often wandered trying to maintain interest in the storyline.
I understand that this is only book 1. I can't imagine having to drag through more of this book. I can't imaging it getting any better. I can only say that you should listen to or read it for yourself and judge accordingly. I voluntarily listened to and reviewed this audiobook that I received from someplace I don't remember.
September 24, 2024
Drake Morgan, MD, neurosurgeon, bass player, philanthropist - Dominant. He doesn't do girlfriends, he doesn’t do sleepovers, and he certainly doesn't do breakfast in bed the morning after. He has his surgical slate at New York Presbyterian, he has a charitable foundation providing surgical tools to hospitals in Africa, he has his Brit Invasion cover band, Mersey, and he has his secret life as a Dominant in Manhattan's BDSM community.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music, and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect. That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up. Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten, and things are going to get messy....
This book was good to me. It is similar to 50 Shades of Grey but different. Jack Calihan did a great job at bring this book to life.
Into bondage, D/s and the occasional dungeon scene, Drake keeps every part of his life separate, the divisions between them neat and tidy. His weeks are filled with surgeries, music, and D/s sex, and none of the well-planned and scheduled parts of his life intersect. That is until Kate McDermott crosses his path and screws everything up. Now, nothing is neat and tidy anymore, for Drake is smitten, and things are going to get messy....
This book was good to me. It is similar to 50 Shades of Grey but different. Jack Calihan did a great job at bring this book to life.
June 4, 2019
As always, I have to state that I got the book free of charge in exchange for a review. This does not determine my rating or opinion of the book.
This book didn't grab me as much as I was hoping it would. I have not read Kate's POV as I got this one for free and didn't realize until after reading that this was a follow-up. Drake just seemed really unsure of what he wanted and what he was looking for. He's heard about Kate and decides after who knows how long of knowing about her, he needs to finally meet her. They meet and he realizes that she is what he wants. A friend of Kate's is what's keeping them apart. I'm sure in Kate's version we know who is keeping them apart and I think from this book you might be able to guess it. The story felt like it was a lot of back and forth with them finally figuring out what they wanted in the end. This book didn't make me want to continue the series to read the next book.
This book didn't grab me as much as I was hoping it would. I have not read Kate's POV as I got this one for free and didn't realize until after reading that this was a follow-up. Drake just seemed really unsure of what he wanted and what he was looking for. He's heard about Kate and decides after who knows how long of knowing about her, he needs to finally meet her. They meet and he realizes that she is what he wants. A friend of Kate's is what's keeping them apart. I'm sure in Kate's version we know who is keeping them apart and I think from this book you might be able to guess it. The story felt like it was a lot of back and forth with them finally figuring out what they wanted in the end. This book didn't make me want to continue the series to read the next book.
June 18, 2019
Who does not want a strong, rich, handsome doctor all for themselves? Drake is all that and so much more. He commands attention wherever he is, no wonder why he is a popular Dom. As most great romances happen, Drake did not want to be tied down, until Kate. The dynamics between these two heat up Kindles quickly. Each intimate scene is so hot and steamy and intense. I found myself routing for them to give in to their true desires. I loved the struggle they have to remain as things have been. This is a long book, but I still did not want it to end. I am so glad this is only book one!
Jack Calihan is quickly becoming a favorite narrator of mine. He brings this story off the pages and into a movie in your mind. I can never grow tired of listening to Mr. Calihan's voice. Mr Calihan narrates both female and male characters with easy to listen to voices and very different tones. His narration enhanced the overall experience of this book and made it a MUST listen!!
Jack Calihan is quickly becoming a favorite narrator of mine. He brings this story off the pages and into a movie in your mind. I can never grow tired of listening to Mr. Calihan's voice. Mr Calihan narrates both female and male characters with easy to listen to voices and very different tones. His narration enhanced the overall experience of this book and made it a MUST listen!!
June 20, 2019
Loved it, but....
Great book, great read, but why is it that it only feels like part of a book. It’s only just got going, just got interesting and now I’ve got to go and fork out more money. I hate it when authors do this. Write a book in its entirety, don’t sell us snippets of the same book. It’s just a con to get lots of money for one story!!… what you have here is really good, I’ve really enjoyed it and would look forward to the rest, but now I’m thinking how much this story is likely to set me Barack. I’m off to see how many in the series And the cost.
We are introduced to all the main characters in this book,and some light BDSM scenes, but now we know the characters, the story is just getting started...
I’m off to find out if I can afford this series ....if I can, I will read, although I do find this format frustrating.
Great book, great read, but why is it that it only feels like part of a book. It’s only just got going, just got interesting and now I’ve got to go and fork out more money. I hate it when authors do this. Write a book in its entirety, don’t sell us snippets of the same book. It’s just a con to get lots of money for one story!!… what you have here is really good, I’ve really enjoyed it and would look forward to the rest, but now I’m thinking how much this story is likely to set me Barack. I’m off to see how many in the series And the cost.
We are introduced to all the main characters in this book,and some light BDSM scenes, but now we know the characters, the story is just getting started...
I’m off to find out if I can afford this series ....if I can, I will read, although I do find this format frustrating.
July 27, 2019
Several reviewers have likened this to a copycat of FSOG , but I vehemently disagree. I have the books and movie cds of FSOG, and their only commonality is a light BDSM element focused on pleasure. I found this to be a sweet beautiful adventure where two people chose a power exchange to show their love. Exhilarating and refreshing. Ethan was a supportive understanding person for both Kate and Drake! Bully- zero; Kate and Drake- everything ! Yay. Loved the narrator's voice and expressions. He brought it all to life.
August 7, 2019
I almost didn’t finish the book because Drake made me so angry!!! Not really.... he just ticked me off..... a lot!
Katherine is smart and funny and submissive and should per perfect for his life. But he won’t let her in. He is very much a jerk with her.
I enjoyed everything about this book, but I yelled at Drake several times!!!
It is worth the listen!! Maybe because Katherine stands up and says she deserves more or maybe he gets his head out of his butt... you’ll have to listen to find out!!
Jack Calihan does s great job on this! He’s very pleasant to listen to!!
Katherine is smart and funny and submissive and should per perfect for his life. But he won’t let her in. He is very much a jerk with her.
I enjoyed everything about this book, but I yelled at Drake several times!!!
It is worth the listen!! Maybe because Katherine stands up and says she deserves more or maybe he gets his head out of his butt... you’ll have to listen to find out!!
Jack Calihan does s great job on this! He’s very pleasant to listen to!!
July 29, 2019
Promising start to a BDSM trilogy.
This is the first book of S.E.Lund’s that I have read or listened so this telling from Drake’s point of view was all new to me. I must admit I found the story needed editing as there didn’t feel like 15 hours of substance, too much repetition and the plot continues in 2 more books. That being said I thought Jack Calihan did a good job with the narration and bringing the characters to life. I received this audio via Audiobook Obsession.
This is the first book of S.E.Lund’s that I have read or listened so this telling from Drake’s point of view was all new to me. I must admit I found the story needed editing as there didn’t feel like 15 hours of substance, too much repetition and the plot continues in 2 more books. That being said I thought Jack Calihan did a good job with the narration and bringing the characters to life. I received this audio via Audiobook Obsession.
May 3, 2019
This is the male point of view in a story about a dominant, Drake, who has a career as a neurosurgeon and his relationship with his submissive Kate. Their relationship has conflict and energy and sexual chemistry. There’s also that touch of BDSM for flavor. The narration was very good.
@audiobookobsession
@audiobookobsession
March 19, 2017
Really loved reading this story from Drake's point of view and seeing what makes him tick. Oh, Drake, how do I love thee...? Anywho, know that Drake Restrained can be purchased/read as one whole book that is Drake's point of view of the first book in the Unrestrained series. I say that because I guess the publisher or someone saw a way to make some more money and broke the first book--Drake Unrestrained--down into four small novellas. So be careful when you are buying the book--there's one whole book that's 428 pages. The three books are Drake Restrained, Drake Unwound, and Drake Unbound. I've seen Drake Restrained, Drake Restrained 2, Drake Restrained 3 and Drake Restrained 4--these are all parts of the same story... Drake Restrained. Trying to see if there's a fourth Drake book, but I'm not sure...
PS--Forever After just came out, which is the Unrestrained book #5!!! Yay!
PS--Forever After just came out, which is the Unrestrained book #5!!! Yay!
September 18, 2019
This book gives you the insight of a Dom and was very refreshing. I usually read from the woman’s POV and this was written very well it was a nice change. Jack really does have a fantastic perfect voice for a Dom. Low gravely and very commanding.
October 11, 2019
Enjoyed this book, my first by this author. Liked how she told this story - very different from other books on this topic I’ve read. Story good, not great. Curious if I still feel that way after reading the entire series.
May 15, 2017
Will post review for all four books after reading the forth book.
June 18, 2019
So many thoughts so little time. Such an intense story with an interesting ending. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series
March 17, 2020
While the writing was good, I found that I just didn't like Drake as a character. Can't really put my finger on why. He just didn't "resonate," I guess.
May 31, 2020
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/31/2020)! 🎁
August 24, 2020
Retelling of The Agreement but from Drake’s point of view. Still reads as a lecture and doesn’t give any more to the story until close to the end.
May 9, 2014
Drake is a neurosurgeon specializing in robotic surgery. He likes total control in his life. He spent most of his youth trying not to be his father, who was also a surgeon. He was going to go into a different specialty and then changed his mind in his last year. Drake was married once for 5 years. Drake is a dominant, who has a kink for bondage. His wife was thrilled when he tried to introduce some of these things to his wife when he was just starting to figure these things out himself. When his wife left him he was crushed. He ran into an old friend of his from school that helped him come to terms with who he was and helped him learn how to be a proper dominate. Now he has a sub named Allie who he has been with for 8 months. Things aren’t as great as Drake thinks they are with Allie and he is just realizing this. Allie wants more from Drake than there contract states. It seems that she almost wants to be his girlfriend. Drake doesn’t do girlfriends. He is forced to end things with Allie. He sees a girl at a bar with a student nurse. Normally he doesn’t even think about girls he doesn’t meet through the lifestyle. There is just something about her. Then he sees her again later that night at a fundraiser he is attending and learns she is the daughter of a good friend’s daughter. Will this stop Drake from perusing her or will he go vanilla for her? Could she possible be interested in the same things Drake is or will she run like his wife did?
I really liked this book. I can’t wait till the next one comes out to find out what happens next. Steamy and interesting. Very well written with engaging characters. He is so sure he wants only what he has from life until he meets this girl and then he becomes less sure. His friend who is also in the life style is always trying to dig and find the reason he has these particular kinks. She doesn’t mind that he doesn’t she just always wants to know why someone is the way they are. To Drake the why doesn’t matter just that they have it and are willing to participate. I think this book is great start to a fantastic story.
I was given this book as gift in return for an honest review.
I really liked this book. I can’t wait till the next one comes out to find out what happens next. Steamy and interesting. Very well written with engaging characters. He is so sure he wants only what he has from life until he meets this girl and then he becomes less sure. His friend who is also in the life style is always trying to dig and find the reason he has these particular kinks. She doesn’t mind that he doesn’t she just always wants to know why someone is the way they are. To Drake the why doesn’t matter just that they have it and are willing to participate. I think this book is great start to a fantastic story.
I was given this book as gift in return for an honest review.
May 4, 2014
5 DOMINANT STARS I will admit I have yet to read the Unrestrained series , but I will be reading it now !! For me I always enjoy reading the guy POV so much more. It always seems more raw and real. Drake has been divorced for years after his wife left him when he expressed an interest in the world of bondage. Drake is a brilliant neurosurgeon that had fallen into the life of BDSM , becoming a Dom with the help of his old friend Lara. He now leads a very routine life of work , planned days of sex and shows with his band. He is well known and respected and is sure to keep his 2 worlds separate. Drake is all about control , at work ,home and in the bedroom. He has a submissive at the start of the book but they end things and he is in the market to find a new submissive with the help of Lara. In between his searches he attends a charity event for Ethan , who is very close to him since he lost his own father. It is during this event that he finally meets Ethan's daughter Katherine. Right from the start Drake seems smitten. Plagued with the trouble of Katherine on his mind Drake is finding it hard to connect with any of the willing possible submissive women. Lara has an opportunity for Drake to be interviewed about the lifestyle by a young woman looking to do research , so she says. Drake agrees and shows up to the interview to find this lovely young woman is none other than........... I enjoyed learning about Drake's lifestyle and how he came to be a Dom and to see his ways change slightly once he met Katherine. Definitely looking forward to his and Katherine's story and also for the continuation of this novella series !
May 4, 2014
This is the first book that I have read from this Author.
I really did like it, I think I might have enjoyed it more if I would have read the previous books.
This is a novella in Drake's POV.
It was great.
I gave this book 5 stars.
Drake is not a bad guy he just knows what he wants and he knows what he doesn't want. He doesn't want a relationship. He doesn't want the girls that he controls to be girlfriend material. He likes to dominate. To be in control. When he doesn't have that control he is done and you're finished. He has everything he wants and is happy with his life. He is a Doctor, plays in a band and a Dom. What more could a man want. That is until he meets her, Kate. She is everything he wants he can see himself doing vanilla just for her. Will she give into him and become one of his girls?
This story was more about Drake before he met Kate and also how he met her. We don't get much of their relationship. I am sure that you will get that in the other books. This is just how he felt when he met her and how he was living before that. I really did enjoy it and I can't wait to read the other books that are in this series. The writing flowed very well and kept me turning the pages. Of course I wanted it to be longer, but for a Novella it was perfect. Thank you for a great book! Again cannot wait to read the other books!
April 28, 2014
As this is the prequel to the Unrestrained Series, but was released after the entire series, I will most definitely be reading the rest of this series.
Drake Morgan is the type of man any lady would love to have as her man. Yet he does not do the girlfriend thing. He was married and loved once, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He has no problem tying you up, gagging you and making you feel intense pleasure a couple times a week letting his DOM side come out in the bedroom. But he has no room for anything more than that from women.
Kate McDermott is everything that Drake looks for in his subs. She is pretty, shy, innocence and he can think of nothing but all the wicked ways he wants her. Until he realizes who she really is and he knows he should walk away. But he is completely smitten with Kate and must know what she feels like under him.
The book is told through Drake’s POV which I thoroughly enjoyed. We don’t often get to see the guy’s side of things. We learn about Drake and what makes him tick. I can not wait to read the rest of this series. Do believe Drake could be my next book boyfriend.
Drake Morgan is the type of man any lady would love to have as her man. Yet he does not do the girlfriend thing. He was married and loved once, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He has no problem tying you up, gagging you and making you feel intense pleasure a couple times a week letting his DOM side come out in the bedroom. But he has no room for anything more than that from women.
Kate McDermott is everything that Drake looks for in his subs. She is pretty, shy, innocence and he can think of nothing but all the wicked ways he wants her. Until he realizes who she really is and he knows he should walk away. But he is completely smitten with Kate and must know what she feels like under him.
The book is told through Drake’s POV which I thoroughly enjoyed. We don’t often get to see the guy’s side of things. We learn about Drake and what makes him tick. I can not wait to read the rest of this series. Do believe Drake could be my next book boyfriend.
February 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, written from the man's perspective (Drake's). I haven't read the unrestrained series so this was totally new to me. It was interesting to read the "Doms' perspective and how this man who needed control in all things reacted to meeting "the one."
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