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Intricate Ties #1
Seeking His Command
A deeply emotional, romantic tale of healing and redemption. Nervous and seeking escape from his crumbling life, newly divorced Miles Bennet turns to the art of surrender in a last-ditch effort to reclaim his shattered self-worth. At Shimizu Services, an elite sanctuary of power and trust, he meets Darren—a warm, confident professional whose gentle authority offers Miles a lifeline. As Darren guides him through the intricacies of trust, discipline, and total vulnerability, Miles begins to rediscover a strength he thought was lost forever.
As their private sessions of intensive guidance and intricate rope-work deepen, Miles must confront desires he never anticipated, especially when he realizes his journey isn't just about healing… it's about the man holding the line. But can he trust himself—or Darren—enough to truly let go?
A steamy, emotional journey of trust, authority, and the courage to love beyond labels.
The quiet, earnest vulnerability of Shane Hollander (Heated Rivalry) meets the profound healing and protective authority of a Nora Phoenix hero in this high-heat romance where a man broken by trauma discovers his deepest healing lies in the total devotion of a protector's embrace. Heat
As their private sessions of intensive guidance and intricate rope-work deepen, Miles must confront desires he never anticipated, especially when he realizes his journey isn't just about healing… it's about the man holding the line. But can he trust himself—or Darren—enough to truly let go?
A steamy, emotional journey of trust, authority, and the courage to love beyond labels.
The quiet, earnest vulnerability of Shane Hollander (Heated Rivalry) meets the profound healing and protective authority of a Nora Phoenix hero in this high-heat romance where a man broken by trauma discovers his deepest healing lies in the total devotion of a protector's embrace. Heat
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
August 1, 2026
Ok but like why was this the most intimate read ive had the pleasure of eyeballing & my earholes also got a good show. Trying to find tour way back to not feeling lost and alone and powerless. This book was extremely spicy in the most Amazing way them exploring things together consensually & in a safe way 😩 omg their dynamic was perfect.
the rope work & Dom/Sub exchange. 🫠😮💨 unclear why i DIDNT pick this book but sooner.. like **hits forehead** stupid.. & the audio?! Say less. Need the rest.
Darren is the Shibari daddy & oh 😮💨 dear 😮💨 cant even tell you. Calm, caring, respectful, Consent king x10, & idc what anyone says he’s ABSOLUTELY in love with Miles.
& Miles 😩 sweet, broken, baby miles 😩 hes so broken and he just needs Darren to help him. Hes such a good boy & deserves all the happiness and love 🥹
I am immediately going for book two. Need Darrens pov stat
the rope work & Dom/Sub exchange. 🫠😮💨 unclear why i DIDNT pick this book but sooner.. like **hits forehead** stupid.. & the audio?! Say less. Need the rest.
Darren is the Shibari daddy & oh 😮💨 dear 😮💨 cant even tell you. Calm, caring, respectful, Consent king x10, & idc what anyone says he’s ABSOLUTELY in love with Miles.
& Miles 😩 sweet, broken, baby miles 😩 hes so broken and he just needs Darren to help him. Hes such a good boy & deserves all the happiness and love 🥹
I am immediately going for book two. Need Darrens pov stat
April 15, 2026
Will rate after finishing the sequel.
March 6, 2026
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
This is the first part of a series and it does end on a cliffhanger. That being said, it was a nice quick read. It was interesting to see how Miles decided to try out submission as a way to find both ‘strength and self-worth’ after his life has imploded. There isn’t a clear explanation for what happened yet, and I’ll be honest, until that is revealed I’m going to be a little nervous about what it was and if it will fundamentally change how I view the character.
Nevertheless, it is obvious that Miles is struggling with things, and it is nice to see that having scenes with Darren is having such a positive impact on him. This volume was from Miles’s POV and I’ll be interested to see if we get Darren’s perspective on things in subsequent volumes.
This is the first part of a series and it does end on a cliffhanger. That being said, it was a nice quick read. It was interesting to see how Miles decided to try out submission as a way to find both ‘strength and self-worth’ after his life has imploded. There isn’t a clear explanation for what happened yet, and I’ll be honest, until that is revealed I’m going to be a little nervous about what it was and if it will fundamentally change how I view the character.
Nevertheless, it is obvious that Miles is struggling with things, and it is nice to see that having scenes with Darren is having such a positive impact on him. This volume was from Miles’s POV and I’ll be interested to see if we get Darren’s perspective on things in subsequent volumes.
March 1, 2026
Review for ( Intricate Ties-1) Seeking His Command by A.E. LeMercier
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the way that A.E. LeMercier wrote Miles and Darren. They wrote that the BDSM part of the story was well written. I live the lifestyle, so to see an author writing a beautiful, if not painful, story made me want more, need more, from this author. The pain these two men have gone through just tears your heart apart. The pain that Miles has gone through just made me want to reach in and hug him and tell him it will be ok; things will change. Then there is also Darren, who has gone through heartbreak with relationships, to the point where he just doesn't feel he is meant for more, so with that, he throws himself into his job. Miles shows Darren what he is missing. This story was written so beautifully, I didn't want it to end; I wanted more. I can't wait to see what happens in book two.
Nicole Harvey
I really enjoyed this story. I loved the way that A.E. LeMercier wrote Miles and Darren. They wrote that the BDSM part of the story was well written. I live the lifestyle, so to see an author writing a beautiful, if not painful, story made me want more, need more, from this author. The pain these two men have gone through just tears your heart apart. The pain that Miles has gone through just made me want to reach in and hug him and tell him it will be ok; things will change. Then there is also Darren, who has gone through heartbreak with relationships, to the point where he just doesn't feel he is meant for more, so with that, he throws himself into his job. Miles shows Darren what he is missing. This story was written so beautifully, I didn't want it to end; I wanted more. I can't wait to see what happens in book two.
Nicole Harvey
August 20, 2026
LORDY... Authors you do NOT need to vilify women to elevate your MMCs, FFS!
I've only just started & I'm considering DNF'ing already, because the MC needs a male Dom. He's not gay, but he needs a male Dom, because his wife is evil & therefore so are all women & every woman reminds him of his wife... 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Give me strength!
I've only just started & I'm considering DNF'ing already, because the MC needs a male Dom. He's not gay, but he needs a male Dom, because his wife is evil & therefore so are all women & every woman reminds him of his wife... 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Give me strength!
August 5, 2026
DNF 61%. This was marketed as a "deeply emotional, romantic tale of healing and redemption." This book reads more like deeply boring erotica more than anything. I was struggling to stay interested. I didn't feel an emotional connection, there is no tension, nothing really driving the story forward, and the spicy parts were not all that interesting. It's basically chapter after chapter of tedious descriptions from Miles POV of his sessions with his dom, Darren, at a club that specializes in Shibari. Even though Miles is "straight" he chose a male dom because some past trauma with his ex wife. One might expect some tension or internal conflict but there isn't any to be found. The dialogue overly formal which I might expect that from Darren because he has experience with being a dom but Miles is completely brand new to this world. The constant use of euphemisms to describe the male body is reminiscent of the language I saw frequently in straight romances. I found it to be off-putting.
The voice actor on the audiobook had a very low, smooth sultry voice that kept putting me to sleep.
The voice actor on the audiobook had a very low, smooth sultry voice that kept putting me to sleep.
March 11, 2026
I received a copy through Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest review.
3.8*
Enjoyed the first installment of this “spicy & cozy” BDSM series, as the author describes her style.
Let me start by saying that the opening pages didn’t work very well for me. Miles gives vaguely clinical and unconvincing reasons for seeking out a professional dom. Later, we have more context about his reasons, which feel legitimate and understandable. I wish the beginning pages just stayed with the action and omitted those paragraphs of unsatisfying justification. I’m beyond skeptical about the suggestion of sex fixing mental health issues in romance books. Here though, the MC is in therapy and AA, but feels stuck, so he tries something novel. That’s about as much as we need in those first pages. Kink is inherently emotional and the book shows us how and why the MCs engage in different scenes without overselling or sounding like a scam. Even being skeptical, I came around to the idea that kink can help. It doesn’t fix people and it’s not for everyone, but the situation in this book is convincing, to me at least.
The story has a good pace even as the BDSM scenes are carefully described. Darren is exquisitely patient and complementary. He reinforces Miles’s self-worth in small ways that build upon each other. He also has a few moments of correcting negative self-talk. Beyond all of that though, Darren’s greatest gifts to Miles are moments of peace. Any other potential benefits aside, it’s those moments of clarity and contentment that convinced me about the book’s message. Sometimes just *not feeling bad* is momentous. That’s something I can believe in.
Miles’s devotion is beautiful. He’s desperate for affection of any kind and receives a wealth of it from Darren. Miles is immediately willing to submit to Darren in exchange for that affection. As exchanges go, it’s pretty good. But both of them cross small lines of professionalism throughout while their attraction grows. As the depth of Miles’s emotional devastation becomes clearer to Darren, he tries to provide more support in different ways and crosses more small lines. Miles is so broken, but as Darren says, Miles is strong. ❤️🩹
For quite a while, Miles seems entirely oblivious to his same-sex attraction. Some of that is trauma survival, but some of it is also mental gymnastics. I remember those tactics well from high school. 😂 The arc of Miles’s queer awakening has some face-palm moments, but it’s satisfying just in this first quarter of the series. I was proud of him at the end.
I love the scenes with Miles and Darren looking at photos of shibari. The scenes feel very different, but I love how they inspire Miles and how he connects with Darren over what is becoming a shared passion. Miles responds so intuitively to the pictures and they affect him positively. I also love Miles observing Darren in his teaching environment and how that inspires him to feel proud of both Darren and himself.
We’re left with a good kind of cliffhanger and I’m excited to read book 2.
3.8*
Enjoyed the first installment of this “spicy & cozy” BDSM series, as the author describes her style.
Let me start by saying that the opening pages didn’t work very well for me. Miles gives vaguely clinical and unconvincing reasons for seeking out a professional dom. Later, we have more context about his reasons, which feel legitimate and understandable. I wish the beginning pages just stayed with the action and omitted those paragraphs of unsatisfying justification. I’m beyond skeptical about the suggestion of sex fixing mental health issues in romance books. Here though, the MC is in therapy and AA, but feels stuck, so he tries something novel. That’s about as much as we need in those first pages. Kink is inherently emotional and the book shows us how and why the MCs engage in different scenes without overselling or sounding like a scam. Even being skeptical, I came around to the idea that kink can help. It doesn’t fix people and it’s not for everyone, but the situation in this book is convincing, to me at least.
The story has a good pace even as the BDSM scenes are carefully described. Darren is exquisitely patient and complementary. He reinforces Miles’s self-worth in small ways that build upon each other. He also has a few moments of correcting negative self-talk. Beyond all of that though, Darren’s greatest gifts to Miles are moments of peace. Any other potential benefits aside, it’s those moments of clarity and contentment that convinced me about the book’s message. Sometimes just *not feeling bad* is momentous. That’s something I can believe in.
Miles’s devotion is beautiful. He’s desperate for affection of any kind and receives a wealth of it from Darren. Miles is immediately willing to submit to Darren in exchange for that affection. As exchanges go, it’s pretty good. But both of them cross small lines of professionalism throughout while their attraction grows. As the depth of Miles’s emotional devastation becomes clearer to Darren, he tries to provide more support in different ways and crosses more small lines. Miles is so broken, but as Darren says, Miles is strong. ❤️🩹
For quite a while, Miles seems entirely oblivious to his same-sex attraction. Some of that is trauma survival, but some of it is also mental gymnastics. I remember those tactics well from high school. 😂 The arc of Miles’s queer awakening has some face-palm moments, but it’s satisfying just in this first quarter of the series. I was proud of him at the end.
I love the scenes with Miles and Darren looking at photos of shibari. The scenes feel very different, but I love how they inspire Miles and how he connects with Darren over what is becoming a shared passion. Miles responds so intuitively to the pictures and they affect him positively. I also love Miles observing Darren in his teaching environment and how that inspires him to feel proud of both Darren and himself.
We’re left with a good kind of cliffhanger and I’m excited to read book 2.
March 7, 2026
Full disclosure, I was given the first four books by GRR (thank you!) and read them back to back to back to back like one 700-page chonkster of a book, and therefore I don't have any real sense of where things break in between books, so I'm gonna do my best here, but this run-on sentence is going at the start of each of the four reviews lmao so if I say things that don't fit this book, surprise it's from a different book!
I was really enamored with the idea of kink as a form of therapy, and the ways that Miles and Darren slowly opened up to each other, basically against their wills. BDSM and a dom/sub connection requires so much trust and openness, and while I'm of course not saying anyone irl who is a part of the lifestyle will instantly fall in love, it feels like the possibility is there if they want it, there's no other way for that kind of relationship to work. Miles spends the first several books but especially this book just so broken. He's more than a year out from the initial incident (which takes a while and a lot of breadcrumbs across the books to learn about), he's fighting through quicksand to get through a year of AA and trying to get back to his job, all the while being cut off from his kids because of his ex-wife. Miles absolutely needed Darren, there's no doubt in my mind he wouldn't be alive much longer without him. The exploration of kink in the book is stellar, and honestly parts of it could be used as a primer. Not as a how-to manual, they don't get into all that specificity, but they have a lot of open communication about what they expect to be able to put into and get out of the dynamic, and it made the whole thing really peaceful and comforting.
Thank you to GRR for a copy of this book, this is an honest review.
I was really enamored with the idea of kink as a form of therapy, and the ways that Miles and Darren slowly opened up to each other, basically against their wills. BDSM and a dom/sub connection requires so much trust and openness, and while I'm of course not saying anyone irl who is a part of the lifestyle will instantly fall in love, it feels like the possibility is there if they want it, there's no other way for that kind of relationship to work. Miles spends the first several books but especially this book just so broken. He's more than a year out from the initial incident (which takes a while and a lot of breadcrumbs across the books to learn about), he's fighting through quicksand to get through a year of AA and trying to get back to his job, all the while being cut off from his kids because of his ex-wife. Miles absolutely needed Darren, there's no doubt in my mind he wouldn't be alive much longer without him. The exploration of kink in the book is stellar, and honestly parts of it could be used as a primer. Not as a how-to manual, they don't get into all that specificity, but they have a lot of open communication about what they expect to be able to put into and get out of the dynamic, and it made the whole thing really peaceful and comforting.
Thank you to GRR for a copy of this book, this is an honest review.
February 19, 2026
**4.5**
This is very different to any BDSM romance I've read before. There is more attention to detail, care of both physical and mental health, the education that happens alongside the training that Miles finds himself in desperate need of in a last ditch attempt to save his mental health and recovery.
This is an insanely hot read but it's also just as emotional as Miles connects with Darren on a whole other level to anything he has experienced before. Darren's experience means that Miles is in the safest hands but also that he knows what will be best for him.
It's a guessing game, throughout the story, as to what Miles is trying to recover from. There are hints throughout, with the breakup of his marriage and currently being on leave from his job, but I like that everything isn't just laid out for you. it's established once it fits with the story. There are, of course, good times but there are the bad as well, although those bring them even closer together.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book, especially after reading that epilogue!
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
This is very different to any BDSM romance I've read before. There is more attention to detail, care of both physical and mental health, the education that happens alongside the training that Miles finds himself in desperate need of in a last ditch attempt to save his mental health and recovery.
This is an insanely hot read but it's also just as emotional as Miles connects with Darren on a whole other level to anything he has experienced before. Darren's experience means that Miles is in the safest hands but also that he knows what will be best for him.
It's a guessing game, throughout the story, as to what Miles is trying to recover from. There are hints throughout, with the breakup of his marriage and currently being on leave from his job, but I like that everything isn't just laid out for you. it's established once it fits with the story. There are, of course, good times but there are the bad as well, although those bring them even closer together.
I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book, especially after reading that epilogue!
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
March 6, 2026
Darren and Miles the beginning
Very emotional and weirdly sweet BDSM story about Miles who is going through a lot in his life who engages Darren to help him learn to deal with things. I really like how these two characters interact and how the author spins out how the details of Miles problems to keep things interesting. Luckily the next books in this series are already out because I will be diving into them. Shibari is one of my favorite kinks and I don’t find much of it in books, partly because it’s hard to describe well. There is a lot of well written shibari in this book and it’s obvious that A.E. LeMercier has either been involved or has done tons of research because the descriptions of both how it’s done and the emotions and feelings that it provokes are spot on. With so much badly written kink stories out there it’s great to find an author who does it well.
Very emotional and weirdly sweet BDSM story about Miles who is going through a lot in his life who engages Darren to help him learn to deal with things. I really like how these two characters interact and how the author spins out how the details of Miles problems to keep things interesting. Luckily the next books in this series are already out because I will be diving into them. Shibari is one of my favorite kinks and I don’t find much of it in books, partly because it’s hard to describe well. There is a lot of well written shibari in this book and it’s obvious that A.E. LeMercier has either been involved or has done tons of research because the descriptions of both how it’s done and the emotions and feelings that it provokes are spot on. With so much badly written kink stories out there it’s great to find an author who does it well.
August 6, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ This bite size BDSM novella will have you RUNNING to book two to get some more of these two 😮💨
Miles, a man who seems lost trying to navigate early recovery seeks healing on an untraditional path, BDSM. He seeks peace and surrender and finds a club that can give it to him.
Only when he arrives, it's the manager that snags his attention, he knows Darren is the master he seeks.
Darren is calm and collected, a Dom in every sense of the word, who helps Miles navigate this path in a way that is as sensual as it is endearing.
The safety that Miles feels in Darren's care, the peace that he finds in being bound, the undeniable arousal he can't control for his Dom. It is EVERYTHING 😮💨🥵🫠
Will their relationship stay professional? Or is something deeper forming beneath the binds? No I'm genuinely asking 😂 guess I better go find out in book 2!
Miles, a man who seems lost trying to navigate early recovery seeks healing on an untraditional path, BDSM. He seeks peace and surrender and finds a club that can give it to him.
Only when he arrives, it's the manager that snags his attention, he knows Darren is the master he seeks.
Darren is calm and collected, a Dom in every sense of the word, who helps Miles navigate this path in a way that is as sensual as it is endearing.
The safety that Miles feels in Darren's care, the peace that he finds in being bound, the undeniable arousal he can't control for his Dom. It is EVERYTHING 😮💨🥵🫠
Will their relationship stay professional? Or is something deeper forming beneath the binds? No I'm genuinely asking 😂 guess I better go find out in book 2!
February 27, 2026
This seems to be the start of a huge emotional journey. We meet Miles at his lowest and get to see him start to drag his way to the surface again in the capable hands of a professional carer. It's a book about the healing power of surrender and trust and a reminder to not be so hard on yourself. It's pretty hot and although there's no real romance (yet) feelings are involved pretty soon. I liked that the kinky scenes were not just a tool to get our characters off but a step on Miles' emotional development journey. The pacing was just right, the dialogue felt natural and the story sucked you in. I'm happy I get to start with the next one right away.
March 6, 2026
Thank you GRR for the arc!
I find this a hard book to rate.
On one hand, I loved the representation of BDSM. The bondage for the sake of bondage, not to spice up a vanilla scene.
But I disliked Miles as a character. He's so angry and upset his life is ruined but is very quick to blame his ex-wife but I've yet to see any remorse for his own actions. Maybe because the author is hiding the truth from us to slowly reveal what happened.
I'm just not rooting for him much. I do love Darren, the Dom. The tricky situation he's in, getting too invested in a client?
I find this a hard book to rate.
On one hand, I loved the representation of BDSM. The bondage for the sake of bondage, not to spice up a vanilla scene.
But I disliked Miles as a character. He's so angry and upset his life is ruined but is very quick to blame his ex-wife but I've yet to see any remorse for his own actions. Maybe because the author is hiding the truth from us to slowly reveal what happened.
I'm just not rooting for him much. I do love Darren, the Dom. The tricky situation he's in, getting too invested in a client?
February 23, 2026
Can I just hug Miles forever?
I'm feeling all sorts of emotions after reading this! I just want to keep Miles in a huge hug, he's so helpless after everything he's been through. I'm also loving how kind and sweet Darren is, awww I hope he keeps it up because Miles deserves so much love.
How have I taken a fictional character into my heart so fast?
Starting the 2nd book right thus minute!
Beautifuly written, especially at how fast I've become attached to this series.
I'm feeling all sorts of emotions after reading this! I just want to keep Miles in a huge hug, he's so helpless after everything he's been through. I'm also loving how kind and sweet Darren is, awww I hope he keeps it up because Miles deserves so much love.
How have I taken a fictional character into my heart so fast?
Starting the 2nd book right thus minute!
Beautifuly written, especially at how fast I've become attached to this series.
February 23, 2026
Tie me up and call me Miles
I loved the slow, sensuous writing and scene work in this D/s dynamic. Miles is so touch starved and Darren is so thirsty and I cannot wait to see how their interactions continue in the next book.
I loved the slow, sensuous writing and scene work in this D/s dynamic. Miles is so touch starved and Darren is so thirsty and I cannot wait to see how their interactions continue in the next book.
February 28, 2026
A beautiful story in which you get to know Miles as a strong person. How he works his way back from the depths he finds himself in.
But you also get to know Darren as a kind and a sweet dom. He gives Miles the space to regain the strength to stand tall.
But you also get to know Darren as a kind and a sweet dom. He gives Miles the space to regain the strength to stand tall.
March 11, 2026
Ugh this book was so good! The writing quality was a breath of fresh air. The chemistry between the characters was intense and comforting. I've never had a book make me cry while also making me hot!! I am about to devour this series!
August 3, 2026
YES. MORE. PLEASE.
🫦🤤🌶️
🫦🤤🌶️
March 10, 2026
It was brill start to following Darren and Miles D/s relationship. Miles has a lot to deal with and finding D/s Darren is helping him.
I look forward to the next one as their relationship develops.
I look forward to the next one as their relationship develops.
February 28, 2026
I could tell this book was going to captivate me from the first few words. Before the end of the first chapter I knew I was going to love it. Mason needs help, structure, support, care, you name it. He needs someone to take charge and just let him be.
I truly enjoy a really good BDSM book, especially when it is about more than just the d/s bit of the relationship. Mason is touch starved-love starved. This was a gorgeous book in more ways than one.
“I finally had to admit to myself that the quiet weight of his command was the only thing that might make me feel whole again.”
I truly enjoy a really good BDSM book, especially when it is about more than just the d/s bit of the relationship. Mason is touch starved-love starved. This was a gorgeous book in more ways than one.
“I finally had to admit to myself that the quiet weight of his command was the only thing that might make me feel whole again.”
Want to Read
March 15, 2026BDSM. sounds like Breck and Kai from "Upending Tad" spinoff. has 4 parts!
February 17, 2026
Obsessed with Miles and Darren, short and very spicy. Love seeing Miles's growth and excited to read the next book!
August 7, 2026
OK story, felt unlisted so you'd have to get the 2nd part separately. Didn't like some of the language. It felt safe.
June 29, 2026
3 stars with mixed thoughts. This was a new author for me with this book. 1 pov which continues into the next book.
September 5, 2026
Miles is going through it. Something happened in his life that sent it crashing down around him. He lost his wife, kids, home, and everything.
In AA, sober now for six months, he has yet to figure out how to surrender to a higher power, as he is not religious. His friend gives him a book on Shibari, which is the art of rope binding, which creates perfect helplessness and submission to the person doing the tying.
With nothing to lose, Miles goes to an exclusive Shibari club and meets the manager, Darren, who agrees to take Miles on as a devotee.
As Miles submits to Darren’s authority, in full trust that Darren will not harm him and will take care of him, he begins to fall in love… unexpected, because he was married and has always been straight.
This book is 5/5 SPICY, and the trust between the men is intense. The intimate way Darren cares for Miles as he is learning to submit is so beautiful. I was captivated from page one.
This is book one in a series and I’m already diving into book two to see what comes next for Darren and Miles. If you’re in the mood for something sexy and affectionate with a D/s dynamic, this is an awesome place to start!
In AA, sober now for six months, he has yet to figure out how to surrender to a higher power, as he is not religious. His friend gives him a book on Shibari, which is the art of rope binding, which creates perfect helplessness and submission to the person doing the tying.
With nothing to lose, Miles goes to an exclusive Shibari club and meets the manager, Darren, who agrees to take Miles on as a devotee.
As Miles submits to Darren’s authority, in full trust that Darren will not harm him and will take care of him, he begins to fall in love… unexpected, because he was married and has always been straight.
This book is 5/5 SPICY, and the trust between the men is intense. The intimate way Darren cares for Miles as he is learning to submit is so beautiful. I was captivated from page one.
This is book one in a series and I’m already diving into book two to see what comes next for Darren and Miles. If you’re in the mood for something sexy and affectionate with a D/s dynamic, this is an awesome place to start!
September 25, 2026
3.25 ⭐️
i think it’s super interesting concept of kink exploration however im not a big fan of how it’s written. i think this story would’ve been told better as one book vs broken into a bunch of novellas. the story just isn’t compelling enough for me to want to read that many novellas.
it doesn’t feel like a romance as of now since the story isn’t over. if you go in.. expect more of an erotica vibe.
i will absolutely read other books by this author tho. the writing itself was good and spicy & emotional.
the narrator was new to me & i did enjoy his narration.
i think it’s super interesting concept of kink exploration however im not a big fan of how it’s written. i think this story would’ve been told better as one book vs broken into a bunch of novellas. the story just isn’t compelling enough for me to want to read that many novellas.
it doesn’t feel like a romance as of now since the story isn’t over. if you go in.. expect more of an erotica vibe.
i will absolutely read other books by this author tho. the writing itself was good and spicy & emotional.
the narrator was new to me & i did enjoy his narration.
January 12, 2026
A complicated man (Miles) struggles with sobriety and looks for the supportive hero (Darren) that he has needed deep down for a long time. Miles also has a hilarious Ukrainian AA sponsor, named Sasha. Sasha is a spicy lady who clocks Miles for someone who could do with some loving, gentle domination. One thing leads to another, and Miles finds himself working with Darren, who runs a very exclusive power exchange spa. Many sexy shibari sessions that are actually intricately linked to Miles' internal turmoil follow. Darren manages to peel Miles like an onion, both physically and emotionally, until he begins to unravel in the best way possible, and begins to heal. I loved how A. E. LeMercier was able to develop intimacy between these two men under unusual circumstances, and frankly, can't wait to read the sequel to find out what happens next! I also loved the gradual build up to the reveal of what the "incident" was that sent Miles spiraling originally. Learning what he did for a living put a whole other spin on him that I had not been expecting and it was delicious.
The book is a quick read and, although it ends on a "to be continued," there's enough emotional resolution there to make me believe they're headed for their HEA in the sequel.
Grateful to Common Goals Publishing for the ARC.
The book is a quick read and, although it ends on a "to be continued," there's enough emotional resolution there to make me believe they're headed for their HEA in the sequel.
Grateful to Common Goals Publishing for the ARC.
May 11, 2026
This is a very intense and very powerful romance about a man trying to work out who he is and how to live his life. The two main characters have a very spicy dynamic together and the themes of growth and survival are very well handled. Recommended.
February 18, 2026
*This is an ongoing serial between the two MC’s. The first 4 parts are currently available on KU*
Miles seeks out the very specialized treatments offered by Shimizu Services on recommendation from his sponsor. His life is spiraling—he’s bare knuckling his sobriety, going through a divorce, hasn’t seen his kids in months and had a devastating blow to his career as a police detective. He needs to let go and is immediately comfortable and taken in by the charismatic, calm and controlled Dom, Darren.
I enjoyed this very much and went immediately and read the next 3 parts. Miles and Darren’s “forbidden” dynamic is lovely. If you like BD$M, power-exchange, switches, rope and much, much more I highly recommend.
Miles seeks out the very specialized treatments offered by Shimizu Services on recommendation from his sponsor. His life is spiraling—he’s bare knuckling his sobriety, going through a divorce, hasn’t seen his kids in months and had a devastating blow to his career as a police detective. He needs to let go and is immediately comfortable and taken in by the charismatic, calm and controlled Dom, Darren.
I enjoyed this very much and went immediately and read the next 3 parts. Miles and Darren’s “forbidden” dynamic is lovely. If you like BD$M, power-exchange, switches, rope and much, much more I highly recommend.
January 23, 2026
Fantastically sensual and overwhelmingly healing
Consentual dom/sub relationship? Check.
Beautiful prose and sensual writing? Check.
Emotionally driven plot? Triple check.
If you are looking for a book about emotional healing through sensual play, then this book is for you and all of your closest friends.
Consentual dom/sub relationship? Check.
Beautiful prose and sensual writing? Check.
Emotionally driven plot? Triple check.
If you are looking for a book about emotional healing through sensual play, then this book is for you and all of your closest friends.
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