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Werewolves & Dragons #1
Axel's Pup
As the landlord of The Dragon’s Lair and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, Axel Carmichael has seen it all and done it all. He’s a respected and experienced dom. Nothing shocks him any more, and nobody catches him off guard.
When Bayden rides up to The Dragon’s Lair on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, and immediately demonstrates that he has far more attitude than sense, it’s easy for Axel to write him off as a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed.
But, there’s more to Bayden than meets the eye. He’s no silly little boy, rich or otherwise, and werewolves aren’t easy to kill.
When Bayden rides up to The Dragon’s Lair on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, and immediately demonstrates that he has far more attitude than sense, it’s easy for Axel to write him off as a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed.
But, there’s more to Bayden than meets the eye. He’s no silly little boy, rich or otherwise, and werewolves aren’t easy to kill.
617 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 11, 2015
168 people are currently reading
3142 people want to read
About the author
Kim Dare
160 books1,519 followersKim is a thirty-three year old bisexual submissive from Wales (UK). First published in 2008, she has since released almost 100 BDSM erotic romance titles ranging from short stories to full length novels. Having worked with a host of fantastic e-publishers, she has just moved into self publishing.
While she has occasionally ventured towards other pairings, Kim's first love is still, and probably always will be, Male/Male stories. But, no matter what the pairing, from paranormal to contemporary, and from the sweet to the intense, everything she writes will always feature three things - Kink, Love and a Happy Ending.
While she has occasionally ventured towards other pairings, Kim's first love is still, and probably always will be, Male/Male stories. But, no matter what the pairing, from paranormal to contemporary, and from the sweet to the intense, everything she writes will always feature three things - Kink, Love and a Happy Ending.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 605 reviews
March 1, 2017
I have lost count of the number of times this book has lured me back to itself, cooing like a siren and grabbing me in its velvet clutches, not letting me go until I succumbed to the temptation and reread it. "Just one more time..." it whispers always, almost lovingly. As if I don't already remember every detail and subconsciously complete all the dialogues already!
I am deeply in love with the simple yet attention-riveting writing of this story, the strong yet vulnerable characters. It is almost like an old picture that you like to look at time and time again just because you love to look at it, because it reminds you of good times. The Axel-Bayden pair works just the same for me. I simply HAVE TO pay my regular visit to them, going so far as to reading it once or even twice every year. My soul feels restless if I ignore its yearning.
I bet there are many of you who have that one favorite book, the one whose allure you can't resist, whose pages are dog-eared because of the numerous times you pored over its pages. It is like your first crush, the way you caress its pages, look dreamily at the words which seem to be written with such precious care as if they were rare pearls instead. There is NO other book that can ever come close to the place this one has in my heart. There have been some close cases. There are some other books that I have reread quite a few times. But I don't think of them as fondly as I do this one.
I am eagerly, desperately awaiting the sequel for this one, almost out of breath for all the excitement running through my body. I hope the author doesn't end up killing me with the wait. I can never get enough of my favorite book-couple!
Some gifs to show my love:
I am deeply in love with the simple yet attention-riveting writing of this story, the strong yet vulnerable characters. It is almost like an old picture that you like to look at time and time again just because you love to look at it, because it reminds you of good times. The Axel-Bayden pair works just the same for me. I simply HAVE TO pay my regular visit to them, going so far as to reading it once or even twice every year. My soul feels restless if I ignore its yearning.
I bet there are many of you who have that one favorite book, the one whose allure you can't resist, whose pages are dog-eared because of the numerous times you pored over its pages. It is like your first crush, the way you caress its pages, look dreamily at the words which seem to be written with such precious care as if they were rare pearls instead. There is NO other book that can ever come close to the place this one has in my heart. There have been some close cases. There are some other books that I have reread quite a few times. But I don't think of them as fondly as I do this one.
I am eagerly, desperately awaiting the sequel for this one, almost out of breath for all the excitement running through my body. I hope the author doesn't end up killing me with the wait. I can never get enough of my favorite book-couple!
Some gifs to show my love:
July 1, 2016
3.5 stars.
First MM book I've read since 2013. Weird, right? I mean, I write in this genre, and I was a reader long before I was ever published. But when life went to hell, the very last thing I wanted to read was gay romance. Writing it was enough for me.
So why the change now?
I dunno. I guess I wanted to see what I've been missing these past few years.
I like this author's work, especially Duck, and when this came up on my dash, I thought, Ooooh, I just wrote a book about werewolves, so let's see what other people have done.
I liked it!
(though, I swear to god, if I had to read the phrase taking a bet one more time, I was not going to be responsible for my actions.)
Kim Dare is good at what she does. I liked her take on werewolves in the real world. The story felt a little overlong (yes, yes; I know the irony in Tj Klune making that statement), but I was happy by the time I finished, so I figured it was good for me.
(also, was it just me, or did anyone else go into this thinking from the series title that it was also going to have dragon shifters? Because, dude. That would be AWESOME. And then it didn't have dragon shifters. My sadness was palpable.)
In conclusion, I liked it. And I think I'd like to read more MM now. Or, I could just reread Stephen King's entire library yet again...
First MM book I've read since 2013. Weird, right? I mean, I write in this genre, and I was a reader long before I was ever published. But when life went to hell, the very last thing I wanted to read was gay romance. Writing it was enough for me.
So why the change now?
I dunno. I guess I wanted to see what I've been missing these past few years.
I like this author's work, especially Duck, and when this came up on my dash, I thought, Ooooh, I just wrote a book about werewolves, so let's see what other people have done.
I liked it!
(though, I swear to god, if I had to read the phrase taking a bet one more time, I was not going to be responsible for my actions.)
Kim Dare is good at what she does. I liked her take on werewolves in the real world. The story felt a little overlong (yes, yes; I know the irony in Tj Klune making that statement), but I was happy by the time I finished, so I figured it was good for me.
(also, was it just me, or did anyone else go into this thinking from the series title that it was also going to have dragon shifters? Because, dude. That would be AWESOME. And then it didn't have dragon shifters. My sadness was palpable.)
In conclusion, I liked it. And I think I'd like to read more MM now. Or, I could just reread Stephen King's entire library yet again...
June 30, 2015
This book isn't perfect, but I found myself rereading it and loving it again, a week after the first time. That earns a book 5 stars from me.
In this alternate-world contemporary, werewolves were discovered, captured, and declared second-class citizens by humans a few generations ago.
Axel is a gay man who runs a biker bar, which is also a club for gay men who are into BDSM. He leads The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, and acts as the top Dom in the bar as well, as owner and keeper of the rules. There are men in his club he cares about, plus some hangers-on who like the scene, or the bikes, or are just curious, and some folks who drop by just to drink. He's content, but a little solitary.
Then one night the door opens and a young man in a leather jacket comes inside, leaving his classic bike parked out front. He takes off his sunglasses, and his eyes make it clear he's a werewolf. His fierce determination to take on any bet, any fight, makes him interesting, and the hint of submission when he looks at Axel, and only Axel, makes him desirable. Axel is a man looking for a sub to care for, and from that first night, in this tough, surprising, silent and defensive young man, Axel has found his mission.
Bayden has very little of his own - the bike his grandfather gave him, the clothes he stands up in and a few more, the mother and sick grandfather who let him help them out with money now and then, and his pride as a wolf. There may be laws that say he's a lesser breed, rules and customs that let humans shake him down or send him out of their establishments like a dog, but he walks his line. No trouble, but no concessions. Let them take from him, but only if they pay. He trusts no human. But when he sees the big blond clearly-alpha man behind the bar, and finds out that in this one place he will be treated as no more and no less than any human customer, he feels that icy mistrust cracking, just a little bit.
This book has the mix of angst, trust-building, sex, and personal growth that appeals to me. The clash of wolf and human culture, and the misunderstandings that arise naturally from it, caught at my heart. The BDSM is notable, but a lot of the focus is on the D/s relationship, and the SM part is not the primary focus of the story. This is a book about trust, and care, and learning to fit two very-different people into one relationship that nurtures them both. Despite a few flaws, and a moderate number of typos, this book pulled me into that zone where anything that interrupts my reading is resented, where the characters shine more brightly than real life, and where I come out of the story with regret and the best kind of hangover.
In this alternate-world contemporary, werewolves were discovered, captured, and declared second-class citizens by humans a few generations ago.
Axel is a gay man who runs a biker bar, which is also a club for gay men who are into BDSM. He leads The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, and acts as the top Dom in the bar as well, as owner and keeper of the rules. There are men in his club he cares about, plus some hangers-on who like the scene, or the bikes, or are just curious, and some folks who drop by just to drink. He's content, but a little solitary.
Then one night the door opens and a young man in a leather jacket comes inside, leaving his classic bike parked out front. He takes off his sunglasses, and his eyes make it clear he's a werewolf. His fierce determination to take on any bet, any fight, makes him interesting, and the hint of submission when he looks at Axel, and only Axel, makes him desirable. Axel is a man looking for a sub to care for, and from that first night, in this tough, surprising, silent and defensive young man, Axel has found his mission.
Bayden has very little of his own - the bike his grandfather gave him, the clothes he stands up in and a few more, the mother and sick grandfather who let him help them out with money now and then, and his pride as a wolf. There may be laws that say he's a lesser breed, rules and customs that let humans shake him down or send him out of their establishments like a dog, but he walks his line. No trouble, but no concessions. Let them take from him, but only if they pay. He trusts no human. But when he sees the big blond clearly-alpha man behind the bar, and finds out that in this one place he will be treated as no more and no less than any human customer, he feels that icy mistrust cracking, just a little bit.
This book has the mix of angst, trust-building, sex, and personal growth that appeals to me. The clash of wolf and human culture, and the misunderstandings that arise naturally from it, caught at my heart. The BDSM is notable, but a lot of the focus is on the D/s relationship, and the SM part is not the primary focus of the story. This is a book about trust, and care, and learning to fit two very-different people into one relationship that nurtures them both. Despite a few flaws, and a moderate number of typos, this book pulled me into that zone where anything that interrupts my reading is resented, where the characters shine more brightly than real life, and where I come out of the story with regret and the best kind of hangover.
April 4, 2017
This is one of the hardest reviews I've written so stick with me.
I'd read the blurb and I'd read some of the reviews but I wasn't quite prepared for this book and if I'm being totally honest there were times I wish I'd never started it but yet I couldn't put it down.
I'll try to explain.
Bdsm isn't really my thing, now don't get me wrong I've read a lot of books revolving around this but it's the characters and their relationship that work for me the bdsm is just a means to an end, something I can take or leave.
Now this book is unlike anything I've read before, it's slow, torturously slow at times and early on there were times I found myself getting frustrated with the pace (because I have no patience) but it's necessary and it works and makes this a book I'll never forget.
It's an emotional read and while ultimately it's happy it's also heartbreaking at times and this I wasn't prepared for. The life that Bayden lives is depressing, lonely and hopeless and I struggled to read at times. That he expected so little for himself and gave so much reduced me to tears on more than one occasion and while I actually finished this book days ago I'm only now in a position to write the review.
In this book wolf shifters are members of society, second class members with tons of unfair rules and no rights. They earn half the wages humans do yet pay twice as much for everything, they'd treated worse than dogs and they have to take it time and time again.
This is Bayden's life until one day he walks into The Dragon's Lair and his life changes forever.
One look at Bayden and Axel wants him, desperately but Bayden's a shifter and a rich reckless one at that, so it's not going to be easy. They've both got a lot to learn and they do and we're with them on their journey as Axel discovers what life as a wolf is really like and Bayden learns that not all humans are to be feared and hated.
It made for difficult reading but the characters are fabulous and the way their relationship slowly grows and changes is riveting.
This is a long book and I read every word, I couldn't put it down, I'll never forget it yet if I could go back in time I'm not sure I'd actually read it, it's taken me days to be able to write this review and I'm crying while typing. As a rule I don't read books that upset me but the way Bayden lived just got to me, I love him, the wolf with the huge heart just crying out to be loved and Axel the perfect man and dom for him.
This is a captivating and emotional read so why did I give 4* and not 5?
While it's a book I'll never forget it's not one I'll ever re-read I just couldn't put myself through this again plus even at the end, which was beautiful I still kind of wished I'd not started it in the first place. Crazy?
So I know this review is a bit of a contradiction but I'm all mixed up and emotional.
I'd read the blurb and I'd read some of the reviews but I wasn't quite prepared for this book and if I'm being totally honest there were times I wish I'd never started it but yet I couldn't put it down.
I'll try to explain.
Bdsm isn't really my thing, now don't get me wrong I've read a lot of books revolving around this but it's the characters and their relationship that work for me the bdsm is just a means to an end, something I can take or leave.
Now this book is unlike anything I've read before, it's slow, torturously slow at times and early on there were times I found myself getting frustrated with the pace (because I have no patience) but it's necessary and it works and makes this a book I'll never forget.
It's an emotional read and while ultimately it's happy it's also heartbreaking at times and this I wasn't prepared for. The life that Bayden lives is depressing, lonely and hopeless and I struggled to read at times. That he expected so little for himself and gave so much reduced me to tears on more than one occasion and while I actually finished this book days ago I'm only now in a position to write the review.
In this book wolf shifters are members of society, second class members with tons of unfair rules and no rights. They earn half the wages humans do yet pay twice as much for everything, they'd treated worse than dogs and they have to take it time and time again.
This is Bayden's life until one day he walks into The Dragon's Lair and his life changes forever.
One look at Bayden and Axel wants him, desperately but Bayden's a shifter and a rich reckless one at that, so it's not going to be easy. They've both got a lot to learn and they do and we're with them on their journey as Axel discovers what life as a wolf is really like and Bayden learns that not all humans are to be feared and hated.
It made for difficult reading but the characters are fabulous and the way their relationship slowly grows and changes is riveting.
This is a long book and I read every word, I couldn't put it down, I'll never forget it yet if I could go back in time I'm not sure I'd actually read it, it's taken me days to be able to write this review and I'm crying while typing. As a rule I don't read books that upset me but the way Bayden lived just got to me, I love him, the wolf with the huge heart just crying out to be loved and Axel the perfect man and dom for him.
This is a captivating and emotional read so why did I give 4* and not 5?
While it's a book I'll never forget it's not one I'll ever re-read I just couldn't put myself through this again plus even at the end, which was beautiful I still kind of wished I'd not started it in the first place. Crazy?
So I know this review is a bit of a contradiction but I'm all mixed up and emotional.
June 27, 2016
Pup.
Sir.
Good boy.
Ayssssssss.
I’d like to say this book was hot and leave it to that.
It would be so simple.
But this book is not simple.
It reads simple, I grant that.
But it’s nothing of the sort at all.
I don’t know how she does it but she does it.
It’s addictive. And I don’t need anything else. I don’t need sleep, I don’t need food, I don’t need sun. I can listen to her voice for hours and hours and hours. It’s mesmerizing.
Different from the other humans.
And those are the most dangerous ones.
That’s what Bayden thinks.
Because it’s true.
They know what you love, they know what you hate, they can use that to make you happy and they can use that to make you suffer.
Bayden thinks so.
Because it’s true.
He has learnt not to let humans get to him. Because they only way they relate to wolves is to use and hurt them.
But Axel is different. Bayden is scared and afraid. But the pull is irresistible. Instinct cries out and commands him to bend. To his alpha.
But Axel doesn’t want that. Doesn’t want him to simply submit. Axel wants everything. And in order to have that, he has to gain Bayden’s trust first. Little by little. With a firm hand, but with no rush. One wrong move can ruin it all. One wrong move and he won’t be worthy of Bayden’s trust and devotion.
I don’t understand BDSM. Not really. It’s like silence, most people don’t understand what real silence is. That’s fine. I’m not saying it’s bad or good, I’m just stating a fact.
However, I can recognize emotions. I can touch this palpable devotion. There is undeniable lust, and need, and painful longing. It was all very tangible in the air, as if the atmosphere was replaced with honey. Sweet, and harsh and beautiful. I can simply not react. I can only revel in it.
I was sad when this ended.
More pics...
Thank you, Secret Santa!!! *happy dance*
Sir.
Good boy.
Ayssssssss.
I’d like to say this book was hot and leave it to that.
It would be so simple.
But this book is not simple.
It reads simple, I grant that.
But it’s nothing of the sort at all.
I don’t know how she does it but she does it.
It’s addictive. And I don’t need anything else. I don’t need sleep, I don’t need food, I don’t need sun. I can listen to her voice for hours and hours and hours. It’s mesmerizing.
Different from the other humans.
And those are the most dangerous ones.
That’s what Bayden thinks.
Because it’s true.
They know what you love, they know what you hate, they can use that to make you happy and they can use that to make you suffer.
Bayden thinks so.
Because it’s true.
He has learnt not to let humans get to him. Because they only way they relate to wolves is to use and hurt them.
But Axel is different. Bayden is scared and afraid. But the pull is irresistible. Instinct cries out and commands him to bend. To his alpha.
But Axel doesn’t want that. Doesn’t want him to simply submit. Axel wants everything. And in order to have that, he has to gain Bayden’s trust first. Little by little. With a firm hand, but with no rush. One wrong move can ruin it all. One wrong move and he won’t be worthy of Bayden’s trust and devotion.
I don’t understand BDSM. Not really. It’s like silence, most people don’t understand what real silence is. That’s fine. I’m not saying it’s bad or good, I’m just stating a fact.
However, I can recognize emotions. I can touch this palpable devotion. There is undeniable lust, and need, and painful longing. It was all very tangible in the air, as if the atmosphere was replaced with honey. Sweet, and harsh and beautiful. I can simply not react. I can only revel in it.
I was sad when this ended.
More pics...
Thank you, Secret Santa!!! *happy dance*
May 1, 2020
Re-read May 2020
It's been a while since I last read this book, but I can honestly say that I still really love it. Even if regular BDSM doesn't float my boat anymore, this was still quite wonderful.
--------------------
First: look at that cover. It’s so beautiful... And that guy is so Bayden.
What an excellent hurt/comfort BDSM story. With werewolves!
Werewolves are no secret in this society. But people do consider them less than human. They get paid half of what a human gets paid, they have to pay twice the rent. And people treat them badly all the time.
Bayden has been taught his whole life never to trust a human. He and his werewolf family have been suffering under the anti-pack laws for years. Bayden is now 23, but on his own since he was 21 because the law forbids him to live with other wolves.
Bayden has been mistreated his whole life. So he makes a living the only way he knows how, by fighting (and winning money) and by whoring himself out to the highest bidder.
When he meets the human Axel, his wolf instinctively knows Axel is more dominant than he is. Axel is the owner of the biker and leather bar, the Dragon's Lair. He is also a Dom. And when he sees Bayden, he knows he must take care of this boy who doesn’t seem to care about his own safety…..
This book is long. And I loved it. There was so much to keep my attention. The developing relationship between Axel and Bayden, the way everyone was treating Bayden, and let’s not forget the HOT BDSM SEX SCENES of course.
My heart broke for both Bayden and Axel when Bayden did all those scenes in front of Axel with other men (never enjoying them) and Axel didn’t understand why. Bayden needed the money to support his mother and sick grandfather, but Axel thought Bayden was just being stubborn and not yet willing to submit to him (once they get physically involved Bayden never lets another man touch him).
My one complaint was that Bayden was so used to be treated badly that even at the end of the book he had trouble accepting he was worthy of love. He made a lot of stupid mistakes that got him hurt. Still, he stole my heart and I was glad he found love.
Such an amazing BDSM shifter book filled with hurt/comfort goodness.
It's been a while since I last read this book, but I can honestly say that I still really love it. Even if regular BDSM doesn't float my boat anymore, this was still quite wonderful.
--------------------
First: look at that cover. It’s so beautiful... And that guy is so Bayden.
What an excellent hurt/comfort BDSM story. With werewolves!
Werewolves are no secret in this society. But people do consider them less than human. They get paid half of what a human gets paid, they have to pay twice the rent. And people treat them badly all the time.
Bayden has been taught his whole life never to trust a human. He and his werewolf family have been suffering under the anti-pack laws for years. Bayden is now 23, but on his own since he was 21 because the law forbids him to live with other wolves.
Bayden has been mistreated his whole life. So he makes a living the only way he knows how, by fighting (and winning money) and by whoring himself out to the highest bidder.
When he meets the human Axel, his wolf instinctively knows Axel is more dominant than he is. Axel is the owner of the biker and leather bar, the Dragon's Lair. He is also a Dom. And when he sees Bayden, he knows he must take care of this boy who doesn’t seem to care about his own safety…..
This book is long. And I loved it. There was so much to keep my attention. The developing relationship between Axel and Bayden, the way everyone was treating Bayden, and let’s not forget the HOT BDSM SEX SCENES of course.
My heart broke for both Bayden and Axel when Bayden did all those scenes in front of Axel with other men (never enjoying them) and Axel didn’t understand why. Bayden needed the money to support his mother and sick grandfather, but Axel thought Bayden was just being stubborn and not yet willing to submit to him (once they get physically involved Bayden never lets another man touch him).
My one complaint was that Bayden was so used to be treated badly that even at the end of the book he had trouble accepting he was worthy of love. He made a lot of stupid mistakes that got him hurt. Still, he stole my heart and I was glad he found love.
Such an amazing BDSM shifter book filled with hurt/comfort goodness.
Read
June 22, 2016No rating.Not finishing for now @ 30%
It's really not the book's fault and I really liked the two main characters Axel and especially Bayden.But it's definitely confirmed that books with a Bdsm element are not my thing.
Plus,it's a long book and if I'm struggling at 30% it's definitely time to bow out.
Friends have really rated this so please don't let my negativity put you off.
It's really not the book's fault and I really liked the two main characters Axel and especially Bayden.But it's definitely confirmed that books with a Bdsm element are not my thing.
Plus,it's a long book and if I'm struggling at 30% it's definitely time to bow out.
Friends have really rated this so please don't let my negativity put you off.
April 26, 2023
Re-read- April 2023, September 2019 - Wow this is my forth read of the book. Still so good, I fly through those 600 pages. Hopefully Baydens Alpha is now on the horizon.
March 2017 - Still perfect.
December 2015 - God I love this book, I just can't put it down, which is odd for me with really long novels. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy there will be a sequel (eventually), I may have cried if it had been the end of Axel and his pup.
Review
I knew writing this review would be hard, there are so many things i want to say, but i know none of it will be enough to do this book justice.
Ok so I'll keep it simple and just imagine a thousand more fan-girl screams to the end of every sentence so i get my point across. I love the submission and domination side of this book, in a lot of ways it was a very straight forward D/S relationship. As in there were rules and punishments, whipping and spankings, kneeling and 'Sir's' and bondage and collars, however the idea of submission and what real submission is and means to the submissive was explored so thoroughly in this book, i came away wondering if all the other submissives I've read about have been doing it right.
Bayden is such a beautiful tortured character, he desperately want to belong to a pack and be loved but he has never had any human do anything other abuse or use him, until Axel of course. Axel... wow what a man!!! He was strong and patient and affectionate and dominating, he was perfection and I loved that Bayden was instinctively submissive to him and immediately considered him as an alpha.
This story has no single plot arc to follow and be resolved, it has many smaller (but no less dramatic or significant) events that occurs within our heroes lives and i just couldn't put this book down. I wasn't going to mention its length, because it will put some people off, but i am NOT one to read long books, often i get pretty bored and have to have a second book going at the same time to have a break, but not this one. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!
Ok now the sex...
"Make no mistake about that, pup. You are mine, every inch of you. I own you body and soul, and by the time I’m done with you you’re never going to want to look at another man or another wolf ever again. You are mine"
It was possessive and affectionate and tender, lots of nuzzling and licking. It was also deliciously kinky, bondage, voyeurism, breath play, and some serious rough sex! I'm not going to tell you when they eventually get together, because they do and its hot, so that's all that's relevant, but before they do the sexual tension is sizzling and they don't deny they want each other so none of that, 'i'm not sure' crap.
If you like D/S relationships, you'll love this, please read it!!
March 2017 - Still perfect.
December 2015 - God I love this book, I just can't put it down, which is odd for me with really long novels. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy there will be a sequel (eventually), I may have cried if it had been the end of Axel and his pup.
Review
I knew writing this review would be hard, there are so many things i want to say, but i know none of it will be enough to do this book justice.
Ok so I'll keep it simple and just imagine a thousand more fan-girl screams to the end of every sentence so i get my point across. I love the submission and domination side of this book, in a lot of ways it was a very straight forward D/S relationship. As in there were rules and punishments, whipping and spankings, kneeling and 'Sir's' and bondage and collars, however the idea of submission and what real submission is and means to the submissive was explored so thoroughly in this book, i came away wondering if all the other submissives I've read about have been doing it right.
Bayden is such a beautiful tortured character, he desperately want to belong to a pack and be loved but he has never had any human do anything other abuse or use him, until Axel of course. Axel... wow what a man!!! He was strong and patient and affectionate and dominating, he was perfection and I loved that Bayden was instinctively submissive to him and immediately considered him as an alpha.
This story has no single plot arc to follow and be resolved, it has many smaller (but no less dramatic or significant) events that occurs within our heroes lives and i just couldn't put this book down. I wasn't going to mention its length, because it will put some people off, but i am NOT one to read long books, often i get pretty bored and have to have a second book going at the same time to have a break, but not this one. I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN!!!
Ok now the sex...
"Make no mistake about that, pup. You are mine, every inch of you. I own you body and soul, and by the time I’m done with you you’re never going to want to look at another man or another wolf ever again. You are mine"
It was possessive and affectionate and tender, lots of nuzzling and licking. It was also deliciously kinky, bondage, voyeurism, breath play, and some serious rough sex! I'm not going to tell you when they eventually get together, because they do and its hot, so that's all that's relevant, but before they do the sexual tension is sizzling and they don't deny they want each other so none of that, 'i'm not sure' crap.
If you like D/S relationships, you'll love this, please read it!!
June 22, 2016
Review written June 21, 2016
4.7 Stars - Angsty, rough, painful and so dearly beautifully sentimental at the same time. All my emotions were on the edge.
There are a lot of good reviews for Axel's Pup and I agree with them, this is a interesting story. I loved Duck (5 stars) back in 2013 but oddly enough still haven't read more Kim Dare M/M since. — Axel's Pup is pretty long (>550 pages is a lot) and a mixture of motorcycle club, shifter PNR and D/s (BDSM) romance. — Felt like a good Ingela challenge.
Awwww!! — I was hooked at once...
**********************************************
Somewhere in a nowaday Wales, UK
# Axel Carmichael —“..seen it all and done it all..”— is the landlord of The Dragon’s Lair (a pub) and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club. Add a tall, tattooed powerful Dom. (Got the picture?)
# Bayden, on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, looks like a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed but there are more... To start with; Bayden is a shifter werewolf. Just 23, as it looks submissive but also a unafraid fighter and always up for a tough bet.
I usually avoid stories with D/s or BDSM topics. Anxious as I am it feels more frightening than enjoying and amusing (or romantic hot). — Why reading 'Axel's Pup' then? Well, it feels pretty okay (even intriguing sometimes) when it's a paranormal or a book without any females involved. In romances like this one feels it oddly enough both kind of exciting and pretty interesting. Even hot. — Yes, even hot.
If you like me are a bit reluctant, don't be anxious. Axel's Pup is tenderly told and most of all a good novel. I didn't hesitate a single second to read further. There are some hard (a bit scary) scenes but this book is in all ways great romantic romance for me.
Axel's Pup was a perfect reading challenge. A bit out of my comfort zone and of course there were some minor lacks I could whine about. —As always!— Nevertheless, I liked this so very intriguing intense storyline. I liked the 'exciting' kinky (sexy) topic. I liked all these amazing touching scenes and heartbreaking romantic moments. AND I felt for these two rememberable main characters Alex and Bayden. — A story and read I will remember (...for ever?)
Simply fabulous romantic and I wish I had the time, the urge and the strength to write a proper well thoughtout review but it is late, it's bedtime workday tomorrow and I'm tired... (If you need to be convinced and want some well written thoughts just push the link here and read my friend Sheziss' excellent 5 stars review.)
**********************************************
I LIKE - books that challenge me ...and makes me feel
4.7 Stars - Angsty, rough, painful and so dearly beautifully sentimental at the same time. All my emotions were on the edge.
There are a lot of good reviews for Axel's Pup and I agree with them, this is a interesting story. I loved Duck (5 stars) back in 2013 but oddly enough still haven't read more Kim Dare M/M since. — Axel's Pup is pretty long (>550 pages is a lot) and a mixture of motorcycle club, shifter PNR and D/s (BDSM) romance. — Felt like a good Ingela challenge.
‘Axel was king of the world. All he had to do was to make sure his one and only subject was never given a reason to want to turn it into a republic.’
Awwww!! — I was hooked at once...
**********************************************
Somewhere in a nowaday Wales, UK
# Axel Carmichael —“..seen it all and done it all..”— is the landlord of The Dragon’s Lair (a pub) and leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club. Add a tall, tattooed powerful Dom. (Got the picture?)
# Bayden, on a bike worth more than most men earn in a year, looks like a silly little rich boy who’s about to get himself killed but there are more... To start with; Bayden is a shifter werewolf. Just 23, as it looks submissive but also a unafraid fighter and always up for a tough bet.
‘Backing down from a challenge from a human wasn’t to be considered. Acting like he was ashamed of who he was, would never be an option.’
I usually avoid stories with D/s or BDSM topics. Anxious as I am it feels more frightening than enjoying and amusing (or romantic hot). — Why reading 'Axel's Pup' then? Well, it feels pretty okay (even intriguing sometimes) when it's a paranormal or a book without any females involved. In romances like this one feels it oddly enough both kind of exciting and pretty interesting. Even hot. — Yes, even hot.
If you like me are a bit reluctant, don't be anxious. Axel's Pup is tenderly told and most of all a good novel. I didn't hesitate a single second to read further. There are some hard (a bit scary) scenes but this book is in all ways great romantic romance for me.
“... sooner or later a wolf always has to either fuck or fight to survive. It’s just the way things are. All you can do is try to make sure you’re the one who chooses who you have to do those things with.”
Axel's Pup was a perfect reading challenge. A bit out of my comfort zone and of course there were some minor lacks I could whine about. —As always!— Nevertheless, I liked this so very intriguing intense storyline. I liked the 'exciting' kinky (sexy) topic. I liked all these amazing touching scenes and heartbreaking romantic moments. AND I felt for these two rememberable main characters Alex and Bayden. — A story and read I will remember (...for ever?)
Simply fabulous romantic and I wish I had the time, the urge and the strength to write a proper well thoughtout review but it is late, it's bedtime workday tomorrow and I'm tired... (If you need to be convinced and want some well written thoughts just push the link here and read my friend Sheziss' excellent 5 stars review.)
**********************************************
I LIKE - books that challenge me ...and makes me feel
June 14, 2016
Okay, so this time around I read the book for the sole purpose of writing a proper review.
This book just blew through all my expectations and landed right at the top as the only book I have reread more than once. This is actually my fifth time, and it still feels all new to me (despite the fact that I now remember almost all the events and my favorite dialogues). I have so many parts bookmarked, it's a miracle that I don't skip any of them. Instead, I sit up straight to enjoy them once again.
The dynamo between Axel and Bayden has been depicted in such a way that all these pages of just the development of their relationship fail to make the book look boring. This book has only one nod in the paranormal section, that Bayden is a werewolf. There is no extra information thrown about what powers these wolves have or another completely different world, probably because they haven't been portrayed as the undefeatable shifters in almost all other books of the similar paramormal genre. The entire summary of information that has been given is such that it doesn't detract from the fact that this is basically a romance, not a thriller or adventure or paranormal book.
Bayden's character is such that half the time I feel the urge to just hug and kiss him and pull his cheeks, while the other times I feel like just coddling him and crushing him to me. He has a craving for security, for a permanent place in a pack, because of the way the wolves are made to feel alone in their species and the way they are treated by humans. Just love him to bits!!!!<3
Axel has played the part of his Dom really well. I loved when he made himself think like a wolf to better understand where Bayden was coming from, as he knew how hard it was for wolves to be chatty. I just found this little niggle. He always did everything right, never messed up. The only mistakes he made were when he assumed that Bayden was all right. I just wanted him to make a mistake once, to see how the dynamics will play out of their roles in that. Hopefully I can get to see that in the sequel!:-D (Though I understand that's just me being picky! *sighs)
This book always gets to me, it packs such an emotional punch in it. Whenever I feel reluctant to start a new book, this books drags me to itself, like a warm bed and a cup of hot coffee in winters. There is such comfort in the story, I find its allure irresistible! Since I don't really understand the deeper dynamics of the BDSM world, I struggled in some parts. But as they always got explained ahead, in either the same person's POV or the other, I was fine with it.
I can never have enough words to stress and describe how precious this book is to me. It always manages to get me out of my funk, with a sweet or humorous smile on my face! For me, this is your best work Miss Dare, after Mistletoe and Submission. I really, reaaaalllyyyy wish the next part comes soon and is able to compete with it!!:-)
This book just blew through all my expectations and landed right at the top as the only book I have reread more than once. This is actually my fifth time, and it still feels all new to me (despite the fact that I now remember almost all the events and my favorite dialogues). I have so many parts bookmarked, it's a miracle that I don't skip any of them. Instead, I sit up straight to enjoy them once again.
The dynamo between Axel and Bayden has been depicted in such a way that all these pages of just the development of their relationship fail to make the book look boring. This book has only one nod in the paranormal section, that Bayden is a werewolf. There is no extra information thrown about what powers these wolves have or another completely different world, probably because they haven't been portrayed as the undefeatable shifters in almost all other books of the similar paramormal genre. The entire summary of information that has been given is such that it doesn't detract from the fact that this is basically a romance, not a thriller or adventure or paranormal book.
Bayden's character is such that half the time I feel the urge to just hug and kiss him and pull his cheeks, while the other times I feel like just coddling him and crushing him to me. He has a craving for security, for a permanent place in a pack, because of the way the wolves are made to feel alone in their species and the way they are treated by humans. Just love him to bits!!!!<3
Axel has played the part of his Dom really well. I loved when he made himself think like a wolf to better understand where Bayden was coming from, as he knew how hard it was for wolves to be chatty. I just found this little niggle. He always did everything right, never messed up. The only mistakes he made were when he assumed that Bayden was all right. I just wanted him to make a mistake once, to see how the dynamics will play out of their roles in that. Hopefully I can get to see that in the sequel!:-D (Though I understand that's just me being picky! *sighs)
This book always gets to me, it packs such an emotional punch in it. Whenever I feel reluctant to start a new book, this books drags me to itself, like a warm bed and a cup of hot coffee in winters. There is such comfort in the story, I find its allure irresistible! Since I don't really understand the deeper dynamics of the BDSM world, I struggled in some parts. But as they always got explained ahead, in either the same person's POV or the other, I was fine with it.
I can never have enough words to stress and describe how precious this book is to me. It always manages to get me out of my funk, with a sweet or humorous smile on my face! For me, this is your best work Miss Dare, after Mistletoe and Submission. I really, reaaaalllyyyy wish the next part comes soon and is able to compete with it!!:-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2015
Another KD Classic!
I think it's well known that I'm a KD fan. Her writes give me the warm fuzzies with her never-ending ability to put the heart into kink, I tell ya.
If memory serves this is her 100th published work and while I've not read her entire backlog, two things stood out while reading Axel's Pup, the first being that it's abundantly clear she put her heart and soul into this novel, and secondly, I think she pushed the kink envelope outside of her comfort range. I ain't mad about that.
I saw/read some of the reviews prior to picking this up and the one thing that everyone seemed to comment on was the length. It is longer than what KD usually writes but it didn't read long, if that makes sense. She made her words count, using them either to world or character build, for the most part. Yes, there was a lot of pushing the hair off Bayden's face but that's their thing.
Did I love this couple? No. I like them a lot. I like how possessive Axel is, but I thought he was too lenient at times and as much as I get what he's trying to do with the limits and boundary setting, I feel like a lot of that stuff could've been mediated by setting a precedent during their first conversation OR would've made sense to rely more on instincts/intuition. I also feel like the level of possessiveness also could've been mitigated by starting off with the honesty talk. Then again, I am kind of partial to TPE, so there is that. It did kind of have that TPE vibe...
Could be I just saw what I wanted to see.
Anyhow, it was clear to me early on that things are not what they seem with Bayden not to mention that he seemingly has no practical experience with BDSM. I've learned the never judge a book by its cover lesson the hard way, but Axel seems oblivious to the obvious. That I found disappointing and instead of discussing why he's betting and getting into fights all the time when they have their first serious conversation about their would be relationship they discuss orgasm control. I appreciate trying to find out what turns someone's crank but if your intention is to collar that person then it's prudent to get to know them in a global sense particularly when they are throwing up enough red flags to rival a NASCAR race. Really, this is my only quibble in an otherwise delightful book, but it did pervade Axel's Pup.
Bayden is the epitome of sweet submissive as only KD can illustrate. His transformation from a rough and scrappy leader of his pack werewolf to docile submissive I found a little jarring, but I guess love and a muscled, tatted and über possessive alpha who's also leader of a BDSM motorcycle club can do that to a wolf.
Axel's Pup is a wonderful beginning to what appears to be a series and let me just state right now for the record that I am DYING for the next book to be about Hale. A submissive cop who's in denial about being submissive?
I'll take two. Thank you very much.
Recommend to everyone who likes a feel good read.
A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I think it's well known that I'm a KD fan. Her writes give me the warm fuzzies with her never-ending ability to put the heart into kink, I tell ya.
If memory serves this is her 100th published work and while I've not read her entire backlog, two things stood out while reading Axel's Pup, the first being that it's abundantly clear she put her heart and soul into this novel, and secondly, I think she pushed the kink envelope outside of her comfort range. I ain't mad about that.
I saw/read some of the reviews prior to picking this up and the one thing that everyone seemed to comment on was the length. It is longer than what KD usually writes but it didn't read long, if that makes sense. She made her words count, using them either to world or character build, for the most part. Yes, there was a lot of pushing the hair off Bayden's face but that's their thing.
Did I love this couple? No. I like them a lot. I like how possessive Axel is, but I thought he was too lenient at times and as much as I get what he's trying to do with the limits and boundary setting, I feel like a lot of that stuff could've been mediated by setting a precedent during their first conversation OR would've made sense to rely more on instincts/intuition. I also feel like the level of possessiveness also could've been mitigated by starting off with the honesty talk. Then again, I am kind of partial to TPE, so there is that. It did kind of have that TPE vibe...
"I want to screw you, and tie you up, and make you writhe from-you know all that. But I want so much more. I want the whole thing, not just a quick scene. I want twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. I want you to be mine. I won't take anything less."
Could be I just saw what I wanted to see.
Anyhow, it was clear to me early on that things are not what they seem with Bayden not to mention that he seemingly has no practical experience with BDSM. I've learned the never judge a book by its cover lesson the hard way, but Axel seems oblivious to the obvious. That I found disappointing and instead of discussing why he's betting and getting into fights all the time when they have their first serious conversation about their would be relationship they discuss orgasm control. I appreciate trying to find out what turns someone's crank but if your intention is to collar that person then it's prudent to get to know them in a global sense particularly when they are throwing up enough red flags to rival a NASCAR race. Really, this is my only quibble in an otherwise delightful book, but it did pervade Axel's Pup.
Bayden is the epitome of sweet submissive as only KD can illustrate. His transformation from a rough and scrappy leader of his pack werewolf to docile submissive I found a little jarring, but I guess love and a muscled, tatted and über possessive alpha who's also leader of a BDSM motorcycle club can do that to a wolf.
Axel's Pup is a wonderful beginning to what appears to be a series and let me just state right now for the record that I am DYING for the next book to be about Hale. A submissive cop who's in denial about being submissive?
I'll take two. Thank you very much.
Recommend to everyone who likes a feel good read.
A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2021
*2nd re-read *
Even better on the second read. This is truly one of my favorite BDSM & Shifter reads.
Surprised how much it still hurt to read about the lives wolf shifters are forced to live in this world. Cruel. Painful. Wrong. Depressing. *shudder*
Such a beautiful couple. I would give anything to read more books in this world, Kim Dare, seriously!! This is her best work, it breaks my heart that it's left unfinished. Though don't let that deter, it's a stand-alone.
*First Read*
Kink, Love, and a Happy Ending , that's what Kim Dare says she writes about and she delivers in Axel's Pup.
Axel's dominance and Bayden's submission is not an act or a role they're playing. It's real. It's not temporary. It's not a transient moment. This is the story of their love, their union, their commitment, their devotion and how they show it to one another through kink.
This is the most beautiful insight into the kink/bdsm world I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
The world Kim Dare creates to introduce the MC's is not a pretty one. This is a world where Wolf-Shifters were once in captivity and only now have some semblance of choice and integration into society. Though there is still segregation, speciesism, physical-sexual abuse, pay-inequality and so forth. It is not easy being a wolf-shifter.
Bayden (Shifter) is struggling with real-life. Struggling to support his mother and grandfather. Struggling with what it means to be a good-wolf. Struggling with all the words that are swimming in his mind telling him how he should think, act, behave.
'Sooner or later, every wolf ends up getting paid to either fuck or fight, the important thing is to make sure you choose who you take money off.'
There are a few things that are true to Bayden
He's fine
He can look after himself
He doesn't want any trouble
Wolves are hard to kill
Oh, and he's fine
He's not fine, not even a little bit.
Axel 'exuded pure dominance. That hadn't been Bayden's memory playing tricks on him. If there was such a thing as an alpha human, Axel was it'
Axel is a tattooed, biker, bar owner and Dom. Oh man, I seriously loved Axel.
Axel is the kind of Dom, the kind of person, that you could trust with your life. His goal is to ' take care of his sub by whatever means necessary' . He communicates clearly. He makes an effort to bridge the gap between their species, to understand, to interpret, to include the wolf and the human parts to their interactions.
This is a slow-burn romance.
'Whether Axel had consciously realized that or not, casualness had stopped being an option with Bayden before they'd even kissed. In Axel's mind, it hadn't been a one off scene for weeks.'
He want's so much with Bayden and he works for it. Oh man, he seriously works for it and it's a damn beautiful sight watching him break down all the walls Bayden has erected.
' They were going to play. That was what humans called it. The most serious thing in the world, and they called it play '
Well these two are definitely not playing. Their dynamic is so real it's tangible. The world Kim Dare creates feels like the one I live and breathe in, believable. So damn Believable.
I can't recommend this book highly enough.
Even better on the second read. This is truly one of my favorite BDSM & Shifter reads.
Surprised how much it still hurt to read about the lives wolf shifters are forced to live in this world. Cruel. Painful. Wrong. Depressing. *shudder*
Such a beautiful couple. I would give anything to read more books in this world, Kim Dare, seriously!! This is her best work, it breaks my heart that it's left unfinished. Though don't let that deter, it's a stand-alone.
*First Read*
Kink, Love, and a Happy Ending , that's what Kim Dare says she writes about and she delivers in Axel's Pup.
Axel's dominance and Bayden's submission is not an act or a role they're playing. It's real. It's not temporary. It's not a transient moment. This is the story of their love, their union, their commitment, their devotion and how they show it to one another through kink.
This is the most beautiful insight into the kink/bdsm world I've ever had the pleasure of reading.
The world Kim Dare creates to introduce the MC's is not a pretty one. This is a world where Wolf-Shifters were once in captivity and only now have some semblance of choice and integration into society. Though there is still segregation, speciesism, physical-sexual abuse, pay-inequality and so forth. It is not easy being a wolf-shifter.
Bayden (Shifter) is struggling with real-life. Struggling to support his mother and grandfather. Struggling with what it means to be a good-wolf. Struggling with all the words that are swimming in his mind telling him how he should think, act, behave.
'Sooner or later, every wolf ends up getting paid to either fuck or fight, the important thing is to make sure you choose who you take money off.'
There are a few things that are true to Bayden
He's fine
He can look after himself
He doesn't want any trouble
Wolves are hard to kill
Oh, and he's fine
He's not fine, not even a little bit.
Axel 'exuded pure dominance. That hadn't been Bayden's memory playing tricks on him. If there was such a thing as an alpha human, Axel was it'
Axel is a tattooed, biker, bar owner and Dom. Oh man, I seriously loved Axel.
Axel is the kind of Dom, the kind of person, that you could trust with your life. His goal is to ' take care of his sub by whatever means necessary' . He communicates clearly. He makes an effort to bridge the gap between their species, to understand, to interpret, to include the wolf and the human parts to their interactions.
This is a slow-burn romance.
'Whether Axel had consciously realized that or not, casualness had stopped being an option with Bayden before they'd even kissed. In Axel's mind, it hadn't been a one off scene for weeks.'
He want's so much with Bayden and he works for it. Oh man, he seriously works for it and it's a damn beautiful sight watching him break down all the walls Bayden has erected.
' They were going to play. That was what humans called it. The most serious thing in the world, and they called it play '
Well these two are definitely not playing. Their dynamic is so real it's tangible. The world Kim Dare creates feels like the one I live and breathe in, believable. So damn Believable.
I can't recommend this book highly enough.
April 23, 2019
Absolutely blown away by this book. The combination of unique story and star narration is nothing short of excellent. 👏👏👏
Even more astounding, this high praise is coming from a reader who doesn't normally enjoy D/s stories. An author who can take a reluctant reader and immerse them in a tale that keeps them spellbound, ignoring the uncomfortable tummy twists to stay glued to the ongoing plot is an author who deserves a standing ovation.
👏👏👏👏👏
Utterly unique plot involving BDSM, Bikers, & Werewolves. Woven with so much emotion that I literally feel dazed at the conclusion. Narrated with such excellence that I couldn't stop listening even at inconvenient times.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Even more astounding, this high praise is coming from a reader who doesn't normally enjoy D/s stories. An author who can take a reluctant reader and immerse them in a tale that keeps them spellbound, ignoring the uncomfortable tummy twists to stay glued to the ongoing plot is an author who deserves a standing ovation.
👏👏👏👏👏
Utterly unique plot involving BDSM, Bikers, & Werewolves. Woven with so much emotion that I literally feel dazed at the conclusion. Narrated with such excellence that I couldn't stop listening even at inconvenient times.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
September 3, 2016
4.5, rounded up
A few scattered thoughts...
The opening scene hooked me immediately and my interest was kept until the very end. For such a long book, it still had Kim's writing style that I love...simple words, sentences that conveyed so much meaning and emotion. I ate it up, all those words that made me melt, shiver, worry and rage.
First kisses...omg *fans self*
I loved the D/s dynamics as they related to lupine pack dynamics, and how Axel picked up on the subtle nuances involved and used them to establish rules and limits.
Bayden, proud, determined, but also vulnerable and cautious...and taking so much pleasure in pleasing his Dom. So beautiful in his submission.
All the interesting secondary characters who influenced the MCs in different ways.
There were threads of melancholy and anger due to the historical and current treatment of werewolves and the unfair anti-pack laws, but it wasn't overwhelming and there was hope for the future.
I'm hoping to find the words for a better review later on, but right now... *hugs e-reader*
A few scattered thoughts...
The opening scene hooked me immediately and my interest was kept until the very end. For such a long book, it still had Kim's writing style that I love...simple words, sentences that conveyed so much meaning and emotion. I ate it up, all those words that made me melt, shiver, worry and rage.
First kisses...omg *fans self*
I loved the D/s dynamics as they related to lupine pack dynamics, and how Axel picked up on the subtle nuances involved and used them to establish rules and limits.
Bayden, proud, determined, but also vulnerable and cautious...and taking so much pleasure in pleasing his Dom. So beautiful in his submission.
All the interesting secondary characters who influenced the MCs in different ways.
There were threads of melancholy and anger due to the historical and current treatment of werewolves and the unfair anti-pack laws, but it wasn't overwhelming and there was hope for the future.
I'm hoping to find the words for a better review later on, but right now... *hugs e-reader*
August 9, 2015
A bit long-winded, but how can you loose with a full length Dare novel--you can't.
Interesting social commentary as well as finding your place, finding balance, and finding the truth of you and not what others say of you--family or foe. All the possessive Dom goodness and deserving sub that you could want. Seriously, a few instances of repetition that I suppose meant to highlight how easy miscommunication is which was a bit aggravating, but made the finally epiphanies all the sweeter.
Overall, a story of trust and care.
Interesting social commentary as well as finding your place, finding balance, and finding the truth of you and not what others say of you--family or foe. All the possessive Dom goodness and deserving sub that you could want. Seriously, a few instances of repetition that I suppose meant to highlight how easy miscommunication is which was a bit aggravating, but made the finally epiphanies all the sweeter.
Overall, a story of trust and care.
Read
November 23, 2016568 pages?? I'll save this one for when I retire. Seriously, that is just too long for me right now. But it sounds so good!
June 19, 2016
4,5 y dejadme que os cuente un cuento.
Había una vez un mundo en el que los hombre lobo y los humanos coexistían, y digo coexistir porque los humanos vivían y los hombre lobo sobrevivían, sí, una vez más el ser humano demuestra lo peor de sí mismo y tras intentar exterminar una raza a la que no considera a su nivel, ha llegado un punto en el que se ha convertido a los lobos en seres inferiores: hay leyes que regulan sus vidas, que les apartan de los canales normales de la sociedad y que les dejan indefensos ante cualquier tipo de abusos ¿os resulta familiar?????
En este cuento, tenemos un lobito "bueno", Bayden, que no confía en el ser humano, desde niño ha visto cómo los lobos han sido maltratados, abusados, asesinados... Ha visto cómo los crímenes contra ellos han quedado impunes, y, peor aún, los ha sufrido en sus carnes. Bayden respeta su raza y su pack por encima de todas las cosas, intenta ganarse la vida y proteger a los suyos de la única manera que sabe (hasta aquí puedo leer) y es eso lo que le lleva al bar de los Dragons y a los brazos de Axel ^^
Todo cuento tiene que tener un caballero en flamante armadura, y en este caso es Axel, Dom, motero y gay, presidente de los Dragons y dueño del bar del club, un pub en el que además de copas, los fines de semana hay escena BDSM. Axel respira Dom por los 4 costados, es un alfa de manual, y lo más importante, una muy buena persona.
... Para saber el resto tendréis que leerlo, yo sólo os he dado un aperitivo ;)
En el momento en que los caminos de estos dos se cruzan, Kim Dare comienza a tejer una maravillosa historia que creo, no deja indiferente a nadie. Es alucinante ver cómo ha conseguido retratar esa relación desde los primeros y titubeantes inicios dónde Bayden desconfía de todo lo que huele a humano, hasta el precioso final en el que todo encaja, terminar de leer Axel's Pup ha sido como resolver un cubo de Rubik o un puzzle de 10.000 piezas, te queda la satisfacción de que todo está como debía estar desde el principio. Parafraseando el personaje de Paco Rabal en Pajarico, "qué bien se está cuando se está bien"
El elemento BDSM está muy pero que muy presente en este libro, creo que es el mejor trabajo con el tema que he leído hasta ahora, asistes al proceso de sometimiento/sumisión de Bayden pero también al proceso interno que vive el dominante, es precioso ver a Axel querer entender y respetar la naturaleza de su Pup, querer convertirse en lo que necesita y demanda. Fantástico cómo mezcla la relación "animal" con la de D/s, sin hacer sentir a nadie superior o inferior, a pesar de que hay uno que es el alfa no he sentido en ningún momento que el otro sea menos, al contrario, ambos tiene un poder y un lugar en esa pareja.
Por poner un pero, quizás en algún momento la emoción pierde en favor de la lucha dialéctica (es lo que hace que se caiga media estrella), el choque de voluntades aquí es muy fuerte, son dos seres que quieren mantenerse fieles a sí mismos sin renunciar al otro, su relación está salpicada de tiras y afloja, los diálogos entre ambos son fundamentales para entender todo lo que viven y cómo piensan, y en cierto sentido eso hace que a veces todo resulte un poco sobrio.
Resumiendo, Axel's Pup es una lectura altamente recomendable, os garantizo que es mucho más de lo que parece y que os va a gustar :)
Había una vez un mundo en el que los hombre lobo y los humanos coexistían, y digo coexistir porque los humanos vivían y los hombre lobo sobrevivían, sí, una vez más el ser humano demuestra lo peor de sí mismo y tras intentar exterminar una raza a la que no considera a su nivel, ha llegado un punto en el que se ha convertido a los lobos en seres inferiores: hay leyes que regulan sus vidas, que les apartan de los canales normales de la sociedad y que les dejan indefensos ante cualquier tipo de abusos ¿os resulta familiar?????
En este cuento, tenemos un lobito "bueno", Bayden, que no confía en el ser humano, desde niño ha visto cómo los lobos han sido maltratados, abusados, asesinados... Ha visto cómo los crímenes contra ellos han quedado impunes, y, peor aún, los ha sufrido en sus carnes. Bayden respeta su raza y su pack por encima de todas las cosas, intenta ganarse la vida y proteger a los suyos de la única manera que sabe (hasta aquí puedo leer) y es eso lo que le lleva al bar de los Dragons y a los brazos de Axel ^^
Todo cuento tiene que tener un caballero en flamante armadura, y en este caso es Axel, Dom, motero y gay, presidente de los Dragons y dueño del bar del club, un pub en el que además de copas, los fines de semana hay escena BDSM. Axel respira Dom por los 4 costados, es un alfa de manual, y lo más importante, una muy buena persona.
... Para saber el resto tendréis que leerlo, yo sólo os he dado un aperitivo ;)
En el momento en que los caminos de estos dos se cruzan, Kim Dare comienza a tejer una maravillosa historia que creo, no deja indiferente a nadie. Es alucinante ver cómo ha conseguido retratar esa relación desde los primeros y titubeantes inicios dónde Bayden desconfía de todo lo que huele a humano, hasta el precioso final en el que todo encaja, terminar de leer Axel's Pup ha sido como resolver un cubo de Rubik o un puzzle de 10.000 piezas, te queda la satisfacción de que todo está como debía estar desde el principio. Parafraseando el personaje de Paco Rabal en Pajarico, "qué bien se está cuando se está bien"
El elemento BDSM está muy pero que muy presente en este libro, creo que es el mejor trabajo con el tema que he leído hasta ahora, asistes al proceso de sometimiento/sumisión de Bayden pero también al proceso interno que vive el dominante, es precioso ver a Axel querer entender y respetar la naturaleza de su Pup, querer convertirse en lo que necesita y demanda. Fantástico cómo mezcla la relación "animal" con la de D/s, sin hacer sentir a nadie superior o inferior, a pesar de que hay uno que es el alfa no he sentido en ningún momento que el otro sea menos, al contrario, ambos tiene un poder y un lugar en esa pareja.
Por poner un pero, quizás en algún momento la emoción pierde en favor de la lucha dialéctica (es lo que hace que se caiga media estrella), el choque de voluntades aquí es muy fuerte, son dos seres que quieren mantenerse fieles a sí mismos sin renunciar al otro, su relación está salpicada de tiras y afloja, los diálogos entre ambos son fundamentales para entender todo lo que viven y cómo piensan, y en cierto sentido eso hace que a veces todo resulte un poco sobrio.
Resumiendo, Axel's Pup es una lectura altamente recomendable, os garantizo que es mucho más de lo que parece y que os va a gustar :)
September 20, 2018
When does a 600+pages/20+hours audiobook leave you wanting more? When is a shifter/motorcycle club/BDSM novel really about society, otherness, cultural oppression and so much more? The answer to both is Kim Dare's brilliant Axel's Pup paired with Chris Clog's Master Class in narration. I'll start with the AB while I try to summon up coherent words about the book.
There are about 5 to 7 main speaking characters, two of them women, plus a number of extras, and you are never in any doubt as to who is speaking, to say nothing of the wealth of emotion & nuance he brings to Axel and Bayden. In a word: PERFECT.
The Story : Bayden is a young werewolf shifter trying to survive in an inhospitable world. To make money he takes bets on fights and other things, in pubs, or wherever he can find willing participants. On a late summer day he walks into The Dragon's Lair Pub, the de facto clubhouse for The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, whose members are gay and more than dabble in the BDSM scene. Axel Carmichael is both a publican and a true no nonsense Dom. The moment the two meet their lives change forever.
To my brain this story read as so much more than a shifter story. I think writers, good ones, can use genres & tropes to speak or comment on difficult subjects without coming off as strident or didactic. For instance vampyrism has always been an oblique way to talk about sexual desires and sex itself. In Axel’s Pup, KD has created a world where werewolf shifters have been hunted, put in camps, stripped of familial surnames, are paid less than half as humans for equal work, are charged Wolf Rates, meaning double, for housing or other services, and are relegated to living in the worst areas. Crime against a wolf isn’t a crime because hey, they’re wolves. Animals. Not human. OTHER. Less. That this lack of opportunity leads many wolves to unsavory “careers”, i.e. prostitution, is proof of their bad character. Their uncleanliness. Their untrustworthiness. Maybe I was being extra sensitive, but I think you’d have to be living under a rock to not hear the echoes of our not-so-distant past. The decimation & forced relocation of American Indians, the Pogroms perpetrated throughout history against Jewish communities, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, the systematic destruction of African American families by means large and small: slavery, ghettos, drugs, and disproportionate incarceration of black males. And last but not least the marginalization, censure, and criminalization of the LGBTQ community. This book talks about all of that and more while sweeping you in a LOVE story. A real one.
The relationship between Axel and Bayden is a D/s one, verging on a TPE, and I can honestly say that Axel is the first Dom I don’t want to punch in the throat at some point in the story. I won’t rehash my love/hate relationship with doms, I’ve over explained it in previous reviews. But this is the first time where the D/s dynamics made sense to my dense brain. Bayden is a WOLF!!! Having an Alpha is natural and instinctual. That this Alpha happens to be human? C’est la vie. Plus Axel is just about perfect while being utterly believable, and not even remotely hearts & roses cloying. He holds no prejudice against wolves, and being a gay man, who has faced rejection and more, solely based on his sexual preferences, is more receptive than most to the plight of an oppressed class. However that does not make him a wolf expert. He ha lots to learn and he doesn’t stint on trying to learn or correct his mistakes.
I loved how Axel translated the qualities of being a good Dom into literally interpreting what Bayden needed but couldn’t say with human words, because, again, Bayden is a WOLF. Kim D never loses sight of that. Bayden has to work at “being human”, he communicates by instinct & body language, scent is a main source of information, and speech or rather human concepts are things he’s constantly working at understanding, deciphering, and expressing. I liked how Axel works at forging what he calls a “common dictionary” of terms that facilitate communication between him and Bayden. Like most people Axel only has a passing acquaintance with matters outside his personal realm of experience. In this case wolves & their life are something Axel only knows very little about, but he works very hard at bridging his knowledge gap. He’s horrified when confronted with the truth of their existence, from the small everyday indignities to the larger, sometimes life threatening, realities of being a wolf. To say that Bayden is cautious in his interactions with humans, hesitant to trust, is understatement. And rightfully so. But at the same time Bayden is so brave and so irrevocably drawn to Axel, his Alpha & mate. He needs him. A wolf without a pack is a sad thing. Luckily Axel, and eventually, the other Dragons work at earning his trust, while they themselves learn to overcome unfounded biases & prejudices.
All of this may sound like I’m promoting some dry and dusty textbook on social anthropology and nothing could be further from the truth. Axel's Pup is the slow burn & emotional journey of a relationship, from first meeting to a perfect HEA. Rest assured that smex times are scorching and yet incredibly tender. The progression of Axel & Bayden’s relationship builds on months, and later weeks, of trust & trying. There are stumbles for both partners along the way. Poor Bayden sometimes has to learn the hard way. He has to learn that Axel as his Alpha always has his best interests at heart and will do anything to protect him without ever diminishing him. At times the learning comes in the form of punishments, which due to Bayden’s wolf nature, present a challenge for Axel, but one he happily meets. Punishments which are very different from “play time”. Both of these activities are crucial to Bayden. They let him know he belongs. He’s cherished. Owned. What else can a good wolf want?
If it wasn’t clear, I LOVED this book. Loved it so much I ordered the paperback. Yep. That kind of love.
There are about 5 to 7 main speaking characters, two of them women, plus a number of extras, and you are never in any doubt as to who is speaking, to say nothing of the wealth of emotion & nuance he brings to Axel and Bayden. In a word: PERFECT.
The Story : Bayden is a young werewolf shifter trying to survive in an inhospitable world. To make money he takes bets on fights and other things, in pubs, or wherever he can find willing participants. On a late summer day he walks into The Dragon's Lair Pub, the de facto clubhouse for The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club, whose members are gay and more than dabble in the BDSM scene. Axel Carmichael is both a publican and a true no nonsense Dom. The moment the two meet their lives change forever.
To my brain this story read as so much more than a shifter story. I think writers, good ones, can use genres & tropes to speak or comment on difficult subjects without coming off as strident or didactic. For instance vampyrism has always been an oblique way to talk about sexual desires and sex itself. In Axel’s Pup, KD has created a world where werewolf shifters have been hunted, put in camps, stripped of familial surnames, are paid less than half as humans for equal work, are charged Wolf Rates, meaning double, for housing or other services, and are relegated to living in the worst areas. Crime against a wolf isn’t a crime because hey, they’re wolves. Animals. Not human. OTHER. Less. That this lack of opportunity leads many wolves to unsavory “careers”, i.e. prostitution, is proof of their bad character. Their uncleanliness. Their untrustworthiness. Maybe I was being extra sensitive, but I think you’d have to be living under a rock to not hear the echoes of our not-so-distant past. The decimation & forced relocation of American Indians, the Pogroms perpetrated throughout history against Jewish communities, the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, the systematic destruction of African American families by means large and small: slavery, ghettos, drugs, and disproportionate incarceration of black males. And last but not least the marginalization, censure, and criminalization of the LGBTQ community. This book talks about all of that and more while sweeping you in a LOVE story. A real one.
The relationship between Axel and Bayden is a D/s one, verging on a TPE, and I can honestly say that Axel is the first Dom I don’t want to punch in the throat at some point in the story. I won’t rehash my love/hate relationship with doms, I’ve over explained it in previous reviews. But this is the first time where the D/s dynamics made sense to my dense brain. Bayden is a WOLF!!! Having an Alpha is natural and instinctual. That this Alpha happens to be human? C’est la vie. Plus Axel is just about perfect while being utterly believable, and not even remotely hearts & roses cloying. He holds no prejudice against wolves, and being a gay man, who has faced rejection and more, solely based on his sexual preferences, is more receptive than most to the plight of an oppressed class. However that does not make him a wolf expert. He ha lots to learn and he doesn’t stint on trying to learn or correct his mistakes.
I loved how Axel translated the qualities of being a good Dom into literally interpreting what Bayden needed but couldn’t say with human words, because, again, Bayden is a WOLF. Kim D never loses sight of that. Bayden has to work at “being human”, he communicates by instinct & body language, scent is a main source of information, and speech or rather human concepts are things he’s constantly working at understanding, deciphering, and expressing. I liked how Axel works at forging what he calls a “common dictionary” of terms that facilitate communication between him and Bayden. Like most people Axel only has a passing acquaintance with matters outside his personal realm of experience. In this case wolves & their life are something Axel only knows very little about, but he works very hard at bridging his knowledge gap. He’s horrified when confronted with the truth of their existence, from the small everyday indignities to the larger, sometimes life threatening, realities of being a wolf. To say that Bayden is cautious in his interactions with humans, hesitant to trust, is understatement. And rightfully so. But at the same time Bayden is so brave and so irrevocably drawn to Axel, his Alpha & mate. He needs him. A wolf without a pack is a sad thing. Luckily Axel, and eventually, the other Dragons work at earning his trust, while they themselves learn to overcome unfounded biases & prejudices.
All of this may sound like I’m promoting some dry and dusty textbook on social anthropology and nothing could be further from the truth. Axel's Pup is the slow burn & emotional journey of a relationship, from first meeting to a perfect HEA. Rest assured that smex times are scorching and yet incredibly tender. The progression of Axel & Bayden’s relationship builds on months, and later weeks, of trust & trying. There are stumbles for both partners along the way. Poor Bayden sometimes has to learn the hard way. He has to learn that Axel as his Alpha always has his best interests at heart and will do anything to protect him without ever diminishing him. At times the learning comes in the form of punishments, which due to Bayden’s wolf nature, present a challenge for Axel, but one he happily meets. Punishments which are very different from “play time”. Both of these activities are crucial to Bayden. They let him know he belongs. He’s cherished. Owned. What else can a good wolf want?
If it wasn’t clear, I LOVED this book. Loved it so much I ordered the paperback. Yep. That kind of love.
March 16, 2015
It's no secret that writing long books has always been physically demanding for Kim Dare. She's produced a couple in the past, but often we have had to be content with her shorter offerings.
When I saw the length of her latest release I nearly "creamed my jeans" to borrow a cliched phrase. I would even have been happy if she'd stopped at the halfway mark as already I'd got more than my money's worth. But then I would have missed out on so much more good stuff. Each added chapter served a purpose that once you read it you realized that it's absence would have been missed. So many books nowadays seem to have filler scenes (especially sex scenes) to get word count. Not here.
As I've said on many occasions, I'm not a fan of shifters, shedders and suckers. Yet in this book, the fact that Bayden is a werewolf is critical to the plot. Not because that makes him stronger than most. He is. Not that it makes him heal quickly. He does. But more important is what it means to be a pack animal in a world where they are denigrated, despised and disliked.
Being this strong, isolated, quick healer makes it much harder for a human to give him a safe place to explore the submissive side of his nature. Pain is not a threat and his past experiences where he has given himself sexually means that even that is not a way "in".
The politics behind the story is paramount. Even to the extent of not being able to have more than two adults living together.
In Queensland, the police have gone tough on bikie gangs, imposing similar stupid arbitary restrictions about riding together in public. Perhaps some have earned it, but for others this feeling they belonged to a 'family' is at the heart of their psyche. So denying them the right to show it hurts.
Much of the book is taken up with this world building, but it's not all about that. It's also about expressing your desires.
There were some lovely bits at the start when Axel struggled to get his sub to understand this and he only achieved it in a small way by depriving him of the things he enjoyed until he learned to admit these things.
Other aspects of punishing and penance were explored. Particularly difficult when it is almost impossible to punish someone physically when they can withstand pain so well and heal so quickly.
I felt for Axel as he had to throw the rule book aside and approach everything from a different angle.
There were a couple of typos such as "Whose" for "Who's" and a couple of other similar mistakes, but the writing, generally, was excellent. Kim has never been the type of author people will marvel about because of beautifully expressed emotions or elegant description. The words are just the tools to get the thoughts and emotions across.
It's the concepts behind her words that always makes more of an impression on me. Here's some examples
Here's another one:
I loved the fact that Axel tried to understand what these were. Looked at the ones that were important and tried to teach him how so many others were not. Throughout this process, Bayden was fighting against the main rule he'd been taught:
And with that came love.
To give the story flesh, there is a great cast of characters. No doubt they will feature in future books. We've already met Griz and Evan, but I look forward to hearing about the cop, Hale, the embodiment of everything Bayden and other werewolves hate. In the course of this story, his attitude changes as does that of others Bayden comes into contact with.
Given the decrease in output recently, I was concerned that Kim had burned herself out. It must have been much harder to write such a long story, but the wait was worth it. Sure some of the themes are present in all her D/s stories, but they came together beautifully balanced in this book.
When I saw the length of her latest release I nearly "creamed my jeans" to borrow a cliched phrase. I would even have been happy if she'd stopped at the halfway mark as already I'd got more than my money's worth. But then I would have missed out on so much more good stuff. Each added chapter served a purpose that once you read it you realized that it's absence would have been missed. So many books nowadays seem to have filler scenes (especially sex scenes) to get word count. Not here.
As I've said on many occasions, I'm not a fan of shifters, shedders and suckers. Yet in this book, the fact that Bayden is a werewolf is critical to the plot. Not because that makes him stronger than most. He is. Not that it makes him heal quickly. He does. But more important is what it means to be a pack animal in a world where they are denigrated, despised and disliked.
Being this strong, isolated, quick healer makes it much harder for a human to give him a safe place to explore the submissive side of his nature. Pain is not a threat and his past experiences where he has given himself sexually means that even that is not a way "in".
The politics behind the story is paramount. Even to the extent of not being able to have more than two adults living together.
In Queensland, the police have gone tough on bikie gangs, imposing similar stupid arbitary restrictions about riding together in public. Perhaps some have earned it, but for others this feeling they belonged to a 'family' is at the heart of their psyche. So denying them the right to show it hurts.
Much of the book is taken up with this world building, but it's not all about that. It's also about expressing your desires.
There were some lovely bits at the start when Axel struggled to get his sub to understand this and he only achieved it in a small way by depriving him of the things he enjoyed until he learned to admit these things.
Other aspects of punishing and penance were explored. Particularly difficult when it is almost impossible to punish someone physically when they can withstand pain so well and heal so quickly.
I felt for Axel as he had to throw the rule book aside and approach everything from a different angle.
There were a couple of typos such as "Whose" for "Who's" and a couple of other similar mistakes, but the writing, generally, was excellent. Kim has never been the type of author people will marvel about because of beautifully expressed emotions or elegant description. The words are just the tools to get the thoughts and emotions across.
It's the concepts behind her words that always makes more of an impression on me. Here's some examples
"What about what you want?So simply expressed, but in just a few words, she's targetted one of the aspects of "True Love".
Bayden shook his head, rubbing his cheek against Axel in the process. "Not important."
"It's important to me."
Here's another one:
"Real submission isn't about faking how you feel. It's not about hiding things. It's about offering up your every thought, your every emotion and trusting me to use them wisely.Many writers miss this last bit and see it as just being the part of what a submissive is supposed to do. To me, that concept of using his submission wisely is at the heart of this book as Axel slowly convinces Bayden to be honest about his wants and desires. So often he's held back by what he thought was expected, relying on lessons instilled in him by family, species history and conquering humans.
I loved the fact that Axel tried to understand what these were. Looked at the ones that were important and tried to teach him how so many others were not. Throughout this process, Bayden was fighting against the main rule he'd been taught:
Giving a human information to use against him was stupid, wasn't it?So trust was very slowly earned.
And with that came love.
"I love you pup-every bit of you. You'll never need to lie to me abouth anything, or to hide anything from me.But this isn't just true of a D/s relationship. It's true of any relationship. It's when you've found a person that this is true for that you've discovered your life's mate. Too often it's the opposite.
"Telling someone you'll accept them as long as they pretend to be someone they're not-that's not real acceptance.
To give the story flesh, there is a great cast of characters. No doubt they will feature in future books. We've already met Griz and Evan, but I look forward to hearing about the cop, Hale, the embodiment of everything Bayden and other werewolves hate. In the course of this story, his attitude changes as does that of others Bayden comes into contact with.
Given the decrease in output recently, I was concerned that Kim had burned herself out. It must have been much harder to write such a long story, but the wait was worth it. Sure some of the themes are present in all her D/s stories, but they came together beautifully balanced in this book.
January 24, 2016
★★★★☆ ~ 4 Stars
MMRG 2015 Member's Choice Award
Best BDSM
1. Axel's Pup
Best Hurt/Comfort
2. Axel's Pup
If you plan to read this, settle in because it's long, lol. Could it have been cut? I don't think so because Axel had to prove to Bayden not only was he different but had to learn how Bayden's mind/motivations worked, which took time to build trust.
At the heart of Kim's books is always that sweetness that runs through the story and it's not missing here. Axel waited Bayden out and was a friend and protector to Bayden long before Bayden could acknowledge. Interesting how wolf shifter discrimination sure sounds like other discrimination that goes on in the world.
There were BDSM elements in the story but Axel tempered them specifically towards Bayden because really, Bayden took anything and everything that was thrown at him and Axel had to figure out the right punishment that would affect Bayden and make him realize he was MORE and he was worth it to himself and others.
Great story.
MMRG 2015 Member's Choice Award
Best BDSM
1. Axel's Pup
Best Hurt/Comfort
2. Axel's Pup
If you plan to read this, settle in because it's long, lol. Could it have been cut? I don't think so because Axel had to prove to Bayden not only was he different but had to learn how Bayden's mind/motivations worked, which took time to build trust.
At the heart of Kim's books is always that sweetness that runs through the story and it's not missing here. Axel waited Bayden out and was a friend and protector to Bayden long before Bayden could acknowledge. Interesting how wolf shifter discrimination sure sounds like other discrimination that goes on in the world.
There were BDSM elements in the story but Axel tempered them specifically towards Bayden because really, Bayden took anything and everything that was thrown at him and Axel had to figure out the right punishment that would affect Bayden and make him realize he was MORE and he was worth it to himself and others.
Great story.
April 26, 2019
Still a favorite!
--------------Orig Review 23 Mar 2015---------
I had not read this author before, but I enjoyed Axel's Pup enough that I am sure I'll be reading other novels by Kim Dare.
Axel's Pup is a shifter novel where wolf shifters are not only known, but they face an enormous amount of discrimination. Wolves are not allowed to form packs, no more than 2 adult wolves (age 21 and older) can congregate anywhere, so young wolves are pretty much forced out on their own at 21, and they're not allowed family gatherings and the like at all. They must all use the surname "Wolf", in an attempt to prevent any kind of "pack" identity. They are charged twice as much for rent, but usually only paid half as much as a human. It's perfectly legal to harass wolves and even kill them. Fun times, yeah?
Bayden is a werewolf shifter. He's in his early twenties and is the son of an alpha. Bayden is twitchy, though. He is used to being treated like crap by nearly every human he meets and so he mostly avoids humans, except to bet on his fighting skills, or other use of his body, as a means of making cash to support himself, as well as his mother and grandfather. When he comes into Axel's pub one day, Axel is very much drawn to the young wolf. Bayden, pretty much immediately, is drawn to the alpha aspect of Axel. Axel is a Dom, through and through and Bayden very much wants to submit to him.
Axel is human and the owner of a pub and leader of a local, mostly gay, motorcycle club, The Dragons. Axel doesn't harbor the prejudices of many of his peers. The fact that the very hot young man that just walked into his pub is a wolf, is just fine by him. He feels very protective over Bayden and wants to take him as his submissive - but only if Bayden lays off the sex with other people (bet or no). Bayden wants it so bad, but he is so determined to never ask for help and he's determined to be the sole provider for his family, so he needs the money. What's a wolf to do?
Axel and Bayden work out a six week trial period, where Bayden will be his 24/7 sub. Fighting bets are still allowed, as long as they take place at Axel's pub, and the other rules are restrictive, but fair. Bayden needs structure, though he doesn't really see it at first. He tries to hold part of himself back, but Axel is an observant Dom and though he gives Bayden much leeway, he knows that the pup is holding back. Axel has but one goal - to make Bayden his, for the long haul. To accomplish this, he needs to show Bayden that he can fully trust Axel, not just for sex, but for everything and that Axel will do his level best to make sure that Bayden thrives.
The road to their HEA wasn't easy, because Bayden doesn't fully trust anyone, including Axel. He wants to, so badly, though. But the result was worth the journey. And the steam level was scalding. Seriously hot.
--------------Orig Review 23 Mar 2015---------
I had not read this author before, but I enjoyed Axel's Pup enough that I am sure I'll be reading other novels by Kim Dare.
Axel's Pup is a shifter novel where wolf shifters are not only known, but they face an enormous amount of discrimination. Wolves are not allowed to form packs, no more than 2 adult wolves (age 21 and older) can congregate anywhere, so young wolves are pretty much forced out on their own at 21, and they're not allowed family gatherings and the like at all. They must all use the surname "Wolf", in an attempt to prevent any kind of "pack" identity. They are charged twice as much for rent, but usually only paid half as much as a human. It's perfectly legal to harass wolves and even kill them. Fun times, yeah?
Bayden is a werewolf shifter. He's in his early twenties and is the son of an alpha. Bayden is twitchy, though. He is used to being treated like crap by nearly every human he meets and so he mostly avoids humans, except to bet on his fighting skills, or other use of his body, as a means of making cash to support himself, as well as his mother and grandfather. When he comes into Axel's pub one day, Axel is very much drawn to the young wolf. Bayden, pretty much immediately, is drawn to the alpha aspect of Axel. Axel is a Dom, through and through and Bayden very much wants to submit to him.
Axel is human and the owner of a pub and leader of a local, mostly gay, motorcycle club, The Dragons. Axel doesn't harbor the prejudices of many of his peers. The fact that the very hot young man that just walked into his pub is a wolf, is just fine by him. He feels very protective over Bayden and wants to take him as his submissive - but only if Bayden lays off the sex with other people (bet or no). Bayden wants it so bad, but he is so determined to never ask for help and he's determined to be the sole provider for his family, so he needs the money. What's a wolf to do?
Axel and Bayden work out a six week trial period, where Bayden will be his 24/7 sub. Fighting bets are still allowed, as long as they take place at Axel's pub, and the other rules are restrictive, but fair. Bayden needs structure, though he doesn't really see it at first. He tries to hold part of himself back, but Axel is an observant Dom and though he gives Bayden much leeway, he knows that the pup is holding back. Axel has but one goal - to make Bayden his, for the long haul. To accomplish this, he needs to show Bayden that he can fully trust Axel, not just for sex, but for everything and that Axel will do his level best to make sure that Bayden thrives.
The road to their HEA wasn't easy, because Bayden doesn't fully trust anyone, including Axel. He wants to, so badly, though. But the result was worth the journey. And the steam level was scalding. Seriously hot.
March 19, 2017
Is the length an issue? NO. All the pages are amaizing!
Is there too much drama? NO. The drama doesn't seem to bother me if the characters are super interesting. These characters and this world are super interesting.
Does it take a long time or too much time for them hook up? NO. I don't remember why I was nervous about this but it was unfounded. They hooked up and it was good and hot AF. Period.
Will you feel like you are dying inside because the sequel is not out yet? NO. At least I don't think so. That being said, I will read that book the second it comes out because I know it will be awesome.
One thing that surprised me... some of my favorite parts of the story were when Bayden was in wolf form. There is something about how this bit was written with Axel as human and Bayden as a wolf... I don't know how to explain it. I recommend taking a couple days off work and reading the book till your eyeballs about fall out of your head.
Is there too much drama? NO. The drama doesn't seem to bother me if the characters are super interesting. These characters and this world are super interesting.
Does it take a long time or too much time for them hook up? NO. I don't remember why I was nervous about this but it was unfounded. They hooked up and it was good and hot AF. Period.
Will you feel like you are dying inside because the sequel is not out yet? NO. At least I don't think so. That being said, I will read that book the second it comes out because I know it will be awesome.
One thing that surprised me... some of my favorite parts of the story were when Bayden was in wolf form. There is something about how this bit was written with Axel as human and Bayden as a wolf... I don't know how to explain it. I recommend taking a couple days off work and reading the book till your eyeballs about fall out of your head.
October 8, 2015
My love for this book is endless. Just.
This book had me hooked from the first line. I read this secretly under my books during class. One of my friends almost caught me right in the middle of a smutty bit, but that did not deter me. Oh no. I had to finish this book.
This is the sort of book I adore, where both he characters are developed fully and there's a real and caring connection between the two leads. The submission and the Master/sub dynamics in this book are beautiful. Everything is subtle, and everything is golden between Axel and his werewolf sub. Except when they aren't because humans are assholes and werewolves heal quickly.
I am so in love with Axel Carmichael. He's hot, and he's a biker, and he's kind, affectionate, and a great Dom to Bayden. I loved the way he treats his sub, the careful consideration, the patience, the care and support and his anger and hurt when Bayden does something without regard to his own safety.
Bayden Wolf. Oh my god. Bayden. I wanted to wrap him up in rainbows and sparkles and bunny rabbits and sunshine. The werewolves in this particular setting are treated worse than dirt, with unequal wages and laws that forbid more than two adult wolves to live together. He does whatever he can to earn money. The scenes they just about broke my heart (and Axel's too).
Certain gestures mean different things to wolves and humans. Bayden wants to be just like a human sub so Axel doesn't have any trouble. Axel just wants Bayden to be himself.
Their journey together to a loving and stable long term relationship is what this book is all about.
I cried in some places (by now it should come as no surprise- I'm the biggest sap there is) when Axel and Bayden's interactions became too much for me. The pure love that Axel has, the way he always wants what is best for his pup, the thought he puts into his punishments, the unconditional support he offers to Bayden, it's all just too much. There are no cheesy admissions of feelings, his feelings shine bright as stars in each and every action.
Bayden is a wolf of few words. He doesn't laugh openly, he doesn't smile much. He keeps his head down, because good wolves don't cause trouble. He keeps things spotless, and he's hard working- he does everything he can to prove that the humans are wrong about the wolves. This is actually what really moved me- Bayden's quiet resilience. He's afraid to trust Axel in the beginning because all his life he's only encountered humans who have been cruel to him. And when he finds that Axel is different, he throws himself into pleasing his Alpha. Because the Dragons are a pack, and Axel is the Alpha. And Bayden wants nothing more than to stay with Axel and make sure that Axel is pleased with him.
That's it, pup, I've got you.
That line, the first time Axel said it, I cried. I cried because that one line is enough to encompass everything. No matter what happens, Axel will always be there for his pup, encouraging him, supporting him, loving him, taking care of him. And Bayden will always belong to his alpha, safe and protected and secure in the knowledge that Axel doesn't love him despite being a wolf, he simply loves him for him.
Really, there are so many, many things I loved in this book, so many words and so many actions, but I should stop before I overheat and explode.
Just. *clutches heart and whimpers* So good.
Review also on my blog!
This book had me hooked from the first line. I read this secretly under my books during class. One of my friends almost caught me right in the middle of a smutty bit, but that did not deter me. Oh no. I had to finish this book.
This is the sort of book I adore, where both he characters are developed fully and there's a real and caring connection between the two leads. The submission and the Master/sub dynamics in this book are beautiful. Everything is subtle, and everything is golden between Axel and his werewolf sub. Except when they aren't because humans are assholes and werewolves heal quickly.
I am so in love with Axel Carmichael. He's hot, and he's a biker, and he's kind, affectionate, and a great Dom to Bayden. I loved the way he treats his sub, the careful consideration, the patience, the care and support and his anger and hurt when Bayden does something without regard to his own safety.
Bayden Wolf. Oh my god. Bayden. I wanted to wrap him up in rainbows and sparkles and bunny rabbits and sunshine. The werewolves in this particular setting are treated worse than dirt, with unequal wages and laws that forbid more than two adult wolves to live together. He does whatever he can to earn money. The scenes they just about broke my heart (and Axel's too).
Certain gestures mean different things to wolves and humans. Bayden wants to be just like a human sub so Axel doesn't have any trouble. Axel just wants Bayden to be himself.
Their journey together to a loving and stable long term relationship is what this book is all about.
I cried in some places (by now it should come as no surprise- I'm the biggest sap there is) when Axel and Bayden's interactions became too much for me. The pure love that Axel has, the way he always wants what is best for his pup, the thought he puts into his punishments, the unconditional support he offers to Bayden, it's all just too much. There are no cheesy admissions of feelings, his feelings shine bright as stars in each and every action.
Bayden is a wolf of few words. He doesn't laugh openly, he doesn't smile much. He keeps his head down, because good wolves don't cause trouble. He keeps things spotless, and he's hard working- he does everything he can to prove that the humans are wrong about the wolves. This is actually what really moved me- Bayden's quiet resilience. He's afraid to trust Axel in the beginning because all his life he's only encountered humans who have been cruel to him. And when he finds that Axel is different, he throws himself into pleasing his Alpha. Because the Dragons are a pack, and Axel is the Alpha. And Bayden wants nothing more than to stay with Axel and make sure that Axel is pleased with him.
That's it, pup, I've got you.
That line, the first time Axel said it, I cried. I cried because that one line is enough to encompass everything. No matter what happens, Axel will always be there for his pup, encouraging him, supporting him, loving him, taking care of him. And Bayden will always belong to his alpha, safe and protected and secure in the knowledge that Axel doesn't love him despite being a wolf, he simply loves him for him.
Really, there are so many, many things I loved in this book, so many words and so many actions, but I should stop before I overheat and explode.
Just. *clutches heart and whimpers* So good.
Review also on my blog!
May 4, 2015
4.5 stars
Bayden tries to be a good wolf and does his best to not break the anti-pack laws that humans made and forced wolves to obey. Bayden takes bets from humans on fights and scenes to prove them that wolves can't be broken so easily, but the bets also pay the bills and help him look after his mother and grandfather. Even though wolves heal quickly they still get hurt, feel pain and get scared. These are the things that Bayden doesn't let anyone show no matter how bad it gets sometimes.
His life changes when he meets Axel. The pure dominance that exudes from the man makes Bayden curious. Since Axel doesn't have anything against having wolves in his pub, Bayden keeps coming back.
I really enjoyed the differences between human and werewolf culture. Axel and Bayden had a lot to learn to understand each other, try to work out what's wrong and avoid misunderstandings.
I liked that Axel took Bayden on rides and that the club was like a family and the Dragons treated Bayden like a pack, as well.
I especially loved the D/s dynamics and the lupine vibe of them.
The story sucked me in from the very first page. This book is just so long and so good. It's definitely worth reading.
“You’re going to cum in your leathers when you see what’s just rolled up outside.”Axel Carmichael is an owner of The Dragon’s Lair pub and a leader of The Black Dragons Motorcycle Club. He’s also a respected and experienced dom. When he sees Bayden walking into his pub for the first time he thinks that he's a silly rich boy looking for injuries. Nonetheless, Axel still catches interest in Bayden and has a desire to help him heal and make him his submissive.
Axel Carmichael raised an eyebrow at his friend. “A boy or a bike?”
“Both.” Griz hauled himself up onto a barstool. “A stunning boy, straddling the most spectacular bike you’ve ever seen. I’d sell my right nut to take either for a ride.”
Bayden tries to be a good wolf and does his best to not break the anti-pack laws that humans made and forced wolves to obey. Bayden takes bets from humans on fights and scenes to prove them that wolves can't be broken so easily, but the bets also pay the bills and help him look after his mother and grandfather. Even though wolves heal quickly they still get hurt, feel pain and get scared. These are the things that Bayden doesn't let anyone show no matter how bad it gets sometimes.
His life changes when he meets Axel. The pure dominance that exudes from the man makes Bayden curious. Since Axel doesn't have anything against having wolves in his pub, Bayden keeps coming back.
I really enjoyed the differences between human and werewolf culture. Axel and Bayden had a lot to learn to understand each other, try to work out what's wrong and avoid misunderstandings.
I liked that Axel took Bayden on rides and that the club was like a family and the Dragons treated Bayden like a pack, as well.
I especially loved the D/s dynamics and the lupine vibe of them.
“Make no mistake about that, pup. You are mine, every inch of you. I own you body and soul, and by the time I’m done with you you’re never going to want to look at another man or another wolf ever again. You are mine.” (...)
Every note was pure dominance, pure alpha. Bayden writhed on the bed, tilting back his head, exposing his neck in an instinctive display of submission.
Axel dipped his head and nipped at Bayden’s throat.
The story sucked me in from the very first page. This book is just so long and so good. It's definitely worth reading.
August 26, 2016
Este libro ha sido toda una sorpresa, una sorpresa el libro y una sorpresa el que me haga gustado tanto pues no soy nada fan de los shifters y tampoco del BDSM. Es un libro profundamente complejo y sencillo al mismo tiempo, en el que poco ocurre más allá de la evolución personal de los personajes y su relación, que forma un todo.
Bayden, shifter hombre-lobo, entra en el bar y Club de Motoristas de Axel, y a partir de ahí todo cambia para los dos. Ay Bayden, maravilloso, valiente, superviviente, muy orgulloso, leal, tierno y con un deseo extremo de poder descansar todo el peso que arrastra durante años en los hombros de otra persona, que busca desesperadamente a alguien que le cuide, un sumiso en busca de su dom, y un lobo en busca de su alfa, que ni siquiera es consciente de lo perdido que está y lo que está buscando. Bayden, a quien encuentra y ve Axel, Axel que será su guía y la llave para la vida que merece, un personaje generoso, fuerte, protector, que desde el principio se verá como su dom y su alfa. Hubo cierto momento en que aunque entendía la interacción de los personajes con sus preguntas y respuestas dado el carácter de su relación, se me hizo algo pesado por el deseao de una verdadera conversación. Pero, a medida que la historia avanzada esto fue desapareciendo, cuando veía cómo Bayden se abría y se mostraba, mostrando una vulnerabilidad a veces insoportable. Al final conoces profundamente a Bayden, pero el personaje de Axel se queda mucho más difuminado más allá de su relación con Bayden, supongo que el segundo libro será a él a quién explorará.
Todo el mundo BDSM se explora con mucho respeto y para gente como yo, fuera de ese mundo, de una forma que te ayuda a comprenderlo sin limitarte al aspecto sexual.
No me gustaría dejar de señalar lo interesante que me ha parecido la división entre el mundo de los shifters y de los humanos, es una constante analogía con nuestro mundo y tantas culturas que se ven amenazadas, subyugadas y maltratadas por otras. Esas leyes para lobos..., imposible no recordar el apartheid en Sudáfrica. Apasionante toda la cuestión social y cultural entre humanos y shifters.
Ha habido muchos momentos en que he sentido como se me ponían los pelos de punta mientras leía, pocas sensaciones mejores que esa, ¿no pensáis como yo? Si queréis una lectura profundamente intensa, go ahead, vuestros sentimientos irán de la tristeza al enfado, ternura, alegría,... todo un carrusel de emociones.
Bayden, shifter hombre-lobo, entra en el bar y Club de Motoristas de Axel, y a partir de ahí todo cambia para los dos. Ay Bayden, maravilloso, valiente, superviviente, muy orgulloso, leal, tierno y con un deseo extremo de poder descansar todo el peso que arrastra durante años en los hombros de otra persona, que busca desesperadamente a alguien que le cuide, un sumiso en busca de su dom, y un lobo en busca de su alfa, que ni siquiera es consciente de lo perdido que está y lo que está buscando. Bayden, a quien encuentra y ve Axel, Axel que será su guía y la llave para la vida que merece, un personaje generoso, fuerte, protector, que desde el principio se verá como su dom y su alfa. Hubo cierto momento en que aunque entendía la interacción de los personajes con sus preguntas y respuestas dado el carácter de su relación, se me hizo algo pesado por el deseao de una verdadera conversación. Pero, a medida que la historia avanzada esto fue desapareciendo, cuando veía cómo Bayden se abría y se mostraba, mostrando una vulnerabilidad a veces insoportable. Al final conoces profundamente a Bayden, pero el personaje de Axel se queda mucho más difuminado más allá de su relación con Bayden, supongo que el segundo libro será a él a quién explorará.
Todo el mundo BDSM se explora con mucho respeto y para gente como yo, fuera de ese mundo, de una forma que te ayuda a comprenderlo sin limitarte al aspecto sexual.
No me gustaría dejar de señalar lo interesante que me ha parecido la división entre el mundo de los shifters y de los humanos, es una constante analogía con nuestro mundo y tantas culturas que se ven amenazadas, subyugadas y maltratadas por otras. Esas leyes para lobos..., imposible no recordar el apartheid en Sudáfrica. Apasionante toda la cuestión social y cultural entre humanos y shifters.
Ha habido muchos momentos en que he sentido como se me ponían los pelos de punta mientras leía, pocas sensaciones mejores que esa, ¿no pensáis como yo? Si queréis una lectura profundamente intensa, go ahead, vuestros sentimientos irán de la tristeza al enfado, ternura, alegría,... todo un carrusel de emociones.
March 14, 2016
Apparently disappearing reviews are a thing that happen everywhere. I use to do my reviews here and copy them over to BL but they kept disappearing on me sometimes when I barely got started or halfway or my favorite just as I was all done and ready to hit the save button like today when I did this review over on BL and was all happy with it because this was a really good book and I liked it a lot. I wanted that to show in my review and it did...until my review randomly disappeared so now I have neither the motivation nor the inclination to try and recreate said review.
Instead I'll just offer my apologies to the author for not doing her terrific story justice and then I'll add this little bit that I did end up posting...
I had what I thought was a reasonably decent review written for this book which, might I say is a really good book.
I very much enjoyed reading 'Axel's Pup' and look forward to future books in this series. Ms Dare did a wonderful job of world building and character development. Axel and Bayden were one sexy pair and I liked them both a lot.
Unfortunately once I had my review done and checked it to make sure I didn't have any horrendous errors and was happy with the content I clicked on the 'post' button and instead of posting everything just disappeared. I'm assuming it's off in cyberspace somewhere and honestly I'm to frustrated to try and redo it or to do another one. So I've had my little rant instead and now I'm just going to say that this is a book that is really, really good and definitely worth checking out if you like shifters, bdsm, D/s, leather, motorcycles and sexy men. It's definitely longer than a lot of books in this category but don't let that scare you it's worth reading.
That's all then, thanks for reading my little rant. I'm off to check out some vampires of the non-sparkly variety. I'm told their good.
Instead I'll just offer my apologies to the author for not doing her terrific story justice and then I'll add this little bit that I did end up posting...
I had what I thought was a reasonably decent review written for this book which, might I say is a really good book.
I very much enjoyed reading 'Axel's Pup' and look forward to future books in this series. Ms Dare did a wonderful job of world building and character development. Axel and Bayden were one sexy pair and I liked them both a lot.
Unfortunately once I had my review done and checked it to make sure I didn't have any horrendous errors and was happy with the content I clicked on the 'post' button and instead of posting everything just disappeared. I'm assuming it's off in cyberspace somewhere and honestly I'm to frustrated to try and redo it or to do another one. So I've had my little rant instead and now I'm just going to say that this is a book that is really, really good and definitely worth checking out if you like shifters, bdsm, D/s, leather, motorcycles and sexy men. It's definitely longer than a lot of books in this category but don't let that scare you it's worth reading.
That's all then, thanks for reading my little rant. I'm off to check out some vampires of the non-sparkly variety. I'm told their good.
May 1, 2016
First Read:4-4-15
Second Read: 5.1.16
4.25 stars
Ooh I hope Hale is the next dragon to get a werewolf.
Dude this was a super long book. I really enjoyed the domination/submission side of the book. It is the most exclusive one I've read about. Axle is so the freaking man. From the moment he stepped on the page I was intrigued about him. I loved everything he did in this book, honestly if I was into D/s relationships I would totally go sub crazy over him. Bayden I wanted to wrap up in a hug. I don't think he has a mean spirit in his entire body. I think it was unfortunate of him to have to go through the things he did at his age, but it made him the man he is today. BTW the collar scene had me tearing up, and the ending. I really enjoyed this alot.
I definitely liked the concept of this story surrounding wolf shifters. I think it was interesting and very clever use of certain elements we don't see in other shifter books. Kim Dare did a wonderful job between these two guys, boy they were so hot together. I love the Dragon game so we know atleast 3 more Dragons who will get books based on the werewolf part I hope. Please let it be Hale, hell I'll even put up with Tolmore.
Second Read: 5.1.16
4.25 stars
Ooh I hope Hale is the next dragon to get a werewolf.
Dude this was a super long book. I really enjoyed the domination/submission side of the book. It is the most exclusive one I've read about. Axle is so the freaking man. From the moment he stepped on the page I was intrigued about him. I loved everything he did in this book, honestly if I was into D/s relationships I would totally go sub crazy over him. Bayden I wanted to wrap up in a hug. I don't think he has a mean spirit in his entire body. I think it was unfortunate of him to have to go through the things he did at his age, but it made him the man he is today. BTW the collar scene had me tearing up, and the ending. I really enjoyed this alot.
I definitely liked the concept of this story surrounding wolf shifters. I think it was interesting and very clever use of certain elements we don't see in other shifter books. Kim Dare did a wonderful job between these two guys, boy they were so hot together. I love the Dragon game so we know atleast 3 more Dragons who will get books based on the werewolf part I hope. Please let it be Hale, hell I'll even put up with Tolmore.
March 22, 2015
Wow! The emotions I felt while reading this book. Anger, sadness, joy...it was a wide range that's for sure. I got so much more out of this book than I expected. It was truly great!
Bayden, where do I even begin? What a proud little wolf. He did what was necessary to survive and to help his family. The way wolves were treated was horrible. He not only accepted it, but he went out of his way to not cause trouble and to keep his head down. He was sweet and vulnerable, but he was also strong and determined. He was more than willing to take a fight with a human if approached and he didn't care about getting hurt if it meant he could help his mother or grandfather when they needed it. With good reason, he didn't trust humans.
Enter Axel,a true dom who took an immediate liking to Bayden. Axel was extremely patient. Not only with the amount of time that it took Bayden to agree to be his sub, but with Bayden in general. Wolves and humans are different and it took Axel a great deal of time to get Bayden to open up to him. You could just sense the pain in Bayden when Axel would force him to talk. He hated it, but those conversations were so much fun to read and Axel really enjoyed them as well.
I really fell in love with Bayden throughout the book (and with Axel as well). I was angered several times with the treatment of Bayden and of wolves in general. It was an interesting dynamic to the story that I wasn't anticipating.
If you pick up this book don't expect your typical, run of the mill dom/sub story. But what you are getting is SO MUCH BETTER! Awesome book and I can't wait to read the next one!
Bayden, where do I even begin? What a proud little wolf. He did what was necessary to survive and to help his family. The way wolves were treated was horrible. He not only accepted it, but he went out of his way to not cause trouble and to keep his head down. He was sweet and vulnerable, but he was also strong and determined. He was more than willing to take a fight with a human if approached and he didn't care about getting hurt if it meant he could help his mother or grandfather when they needed it. With good reason, he didn't trust humans.
Enter Axel,a true dom who took an immediate liking to Bayden. Axel was extremely patient. Not only with the amount of time that it took Bayden to agree to be his sub, but with Bayden in general. Wolves and humans are different and it took Axel a great deal of time to get Bayden to open up to him. You could just sense the pain in Bayden when Axel would force him to talk. He hated it, but those conversations were so much fun to read and Axel really enjoyed them as well.
I really fell in love with Bayden throughout the book (and with Axel as well). I was angered several times with the treatment of Bayden and of wolves in general. It was an interesting dynamic to the story that I wasn't anticipating.
If you pick up this book don't expect your typical, run of the mill dom/sub story. But what you are getting is SO MUCH BETTER! Awesome book and I can't wait to read the next one!
October 29, 2016
Undecided between 3 and 4 stars, so I'll go for 4.
I can't remember the last time I read a BDSM book, really can't remember why I gave up on that genre, maybe it wasn't that interesting anymore for me. But this is the first time I read a MM BDSM one, an I'm sure it won't be the last one. MM is much more interesting!
I liked this a lot. The chemistry between Axel and Bayden is OFF the charts. Beside Bayden being a werewolf, there isn't anything else paranormal in it. I liked them together and I liked the end of the book. It was a bit dragging half through it, but it got better after that.
I loved Axel and everything about him. He was the perfect Dom. I mean, if he wasn't, he wouldn't put up with Bayden's crap. I tried to like Bayden, maybe at the end I did, but I couldn't understand why was he so slow some times. It looked like he didn't thought himself worthy to be Axel's sub. I didn't like that he did so many things he regretted afterwards. Sometimes I thought he was just stupid.
Nevertheless, the scenes between these two were real hot. I'm in for other books in this series. I liked the other Dragons/Doms.
I can't remember the last time I read a BDSM book, really can't remember why I gave up on that genre, maybe it wasn't that interesting anymore for me. But this is the first time I read a MM BDSM one, an I'm sure it won't be the last one. MM is much more interesting!
I liked this a lot. The chemistry between Axel and Bayden is OFF the charts. Beside Bayden being a werewolf, there isn't anything else paranormal in it. I liked them together and I liked the end of the book. It was a bit dragging half through it, but it got better after that.
I loved Axel and everything about him. He was the perfect Dom. I mean, if he wasn't, he wouldn't put up with Bayden's crap. I tried to like Bayden, maybe at the end I did, but I couldn't understand why was he so slow some times. It looked like he didn't thought himself worthy to be Axel's sub. I didn't like that he did so many things he regretted afterwards. Sometimes I thought he was just stupid.
Nevertheless, the scenes between these two were real hot. I'm in for other books in this series. I liked the other Dragons/Doms.
September 24, 2015
Excellent! A book about BDSM that isn't about abusing the sub. In this case, it's the absolute opposite actually, the Dom is the only one who cared whether Bayden got injured or not. No one else cared, not even Bayden himself. It was a story about a Dom who actually cared for his pup and didn't treat him like shit (pardon my French, but I simply couldn't find a better word for it). I enjoyed this story, and I would happily recommend it to anyone. Go ahead and read it, it won't leave a sour taste in your mouth, just a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. You can almost feel proud of Bayden for having made so much progress and Axel for being such a patient Dom who took the time to understand the wolf and be the best human Alpha possible.
I must admit, I didn't want Bayden collared, or for him to buy Axel a leash. That kind of spoiled the thing I was looking for here, which is that Subs are not all of a sudden lesser beings for being subs.
P.S, Thank you to Nastassia for recommending it to me. I definitely needed to read a book just like this one.
I must admit, I didn't want Bayden collared, or for him to buy Axel a leash. That kind of spoiled the thing I was looking for here, which is that Subs are not all of a sudden lesser beings for being subs.
P.S, Thank you to Nastassia for recommending it to me. I definitely needed to read a book just like this one.
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