Bent

Hammer #1

by Sean Michael

Marcus knows Jim is his minutes after meeting the snarly, jumpy ex-professor at the local bookstore. He thinks Jim is a natural submissive, someone who needs order and discipline in his life to help with Jim's anxiety and bad health habits. So Marcus decides to pursue Jim relentlessly, because even if Jim's mouth is saying no, his body is saying yes.

There's a lot more to Jim than meets the eye, and Marcus will have to be careful. Jim knows what it means to lose everything, knows what it's like to be without friends or family. Jim feels broken, and knowing that he likes the kinds of weird things Marcus wants to do to him only makes him scared that he's losing his mind.

Their chemistry is so real, so genuine, that Jim lets Marcus wear him down, lets Marcus take control. Eventually, his trust grows, allowing them to enter into the BDSM lifestyle together, learning about each other every day, with every scene. Jim is still uncertain sometimes, though, and he thinks Marcus might just want him because he's cracked. Can this top and bottom pair find a way to understand their wants and needs, and make a life that works for them alone?

Previously published by Torquere Press.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Erotica, Contemporary, Romance, Gay, LGBT

492 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 24, 2008

About the author

Often referred to as "Space Cowboy" and "Gangsta of Love" while still striving for the moniker of "Maurice," Sean Michael spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and persuing the kama sutra by channeling the long lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to "Chicago."

A long-time writer of complicated haiku, currently Sean is attempting to learn the advanced arts of plate spinning and soap carving sex toys.

Barring any of that? He'll stick with writing his stories, thanks, and rubbing pretty bodies together to see if they spark.

Reviews

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time) · Rating 3 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

I've learned something about life from this book...

A spanking solves everything.

Feeling depressed? Spank it out! Feeling like having a coffee? You need more spanking! Feeling sad? Spanking time! Feeling happy? SPANK! Feeling horny? Spank, spank, spank.

My three stars here is misleading. I actually really liked this book, even loved it at times. However, it also was riddled with problems, which knocked down my rating a bit.

When this book started, I was kind of horrified. Poor Jim seemed so bullied that it made me uncomfortable. That first spanking and that first trip to the tattoo parlor... I'm still recovering from them. It felt non-con or dub-con, which I am NOT into. I actually didn't love any of the tattoo scenes, only because I feel like body art is something you have to really, really want.

However, as the book went along, I was completely sucked into the story. This book really doesn't have a plot. There is no arc. It is more like a 500 page journal of the relationship between Jim and Marcus. But maybe because I read a string of YA or clean romances before this book, but the massive amount of sex scenes were highly, HIGHLY entertaining. And there were a lot of them.

I didn't mind the whole set-up of their relationship, which was kind of a marriage of domestic discipline and traditional BDSM. I understood the dynamic and I thought it worked beautifully for them. This book was also surprisingly sweet. This isn't a grumpy, emotionally distant dom. Marcus is the most sappy, effusive dom that I have ever encountered. This book is FILLED with affection. It is like a big BDSM marshmallow.

So what are my issues here? Well, let's start with the pet names. Now, I happen to love the pet name "baby", mostly because it is what I call my husband. However, even I was a little babied-out by the end. Guess how many times baby is used in this book? You'll never guess. (open to find out---->) 1,139 times . Holy. Crap.

Another issues is the terrible editing and the very "free" use of commas.

Yes. It hurt on the spine worst. I could feel myself, getting panicky.

I puzzled for a long time over why that comma was placed there. That combined with about 1,000 typos and misspellings was beyond irritating.

Also, the length. Dear god. At almost 500 pages, I was even getting tired of the sex. It was like, "Yawn, another spanking, another emotional breakdown..." I wanted to condense it by at least 100 pages. And I wanted some issues to be explored a lot more, like Jim's legal issues and his relationship with his ex and his parents.

Overall, I'll consider this book a huge guilty pleasure. It was HOT and alternatively horrified and fascinated me. I'd call that a win.

[S.L. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dear god, this was awful.

This is the story of an ill-defined TPE (total power exchange), and it's done poorly.

For example, there is one scene in which the bottom (Jim) is telling the top (Marcus) he does not want to be flogged. Marcus just steamrolls right over Jim, informing Jim that he knows what Jim really needs. Now, Jim is struggling, crying, making it very clear it is NOT something he wants, yet the author writes it so that Marcus knows better, forcing Jim through it, and when, in the end Jim comes, it's all fine and hunky-dorey.

No!

That is abuse, plain and simple, and I don't like reading about abuse marketed as BDSM.

The only positive thing I can say about is that there were very few grammatical or spelling errors, though the narrative was choppy and dumb. I've never seen a narrative like this, where the whole book is like a stream of consciousness. It's annoying, distracting, and unsatisfying.

It was pages and pages of sex sex forced sex sex more breaking of trust of boundaries more sex sex and more pointless sex.

I found the book insulting, difficult to get through, and completely unsatisfying as money spent.

[Sophia Triad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jim has a system, a routine. Every other day, he visits the bookstore to buy the latest books. After that he visits the coffee shop where he has a triple espresso and half of a muffin while he reads his mail and gets rid of all his hate-mail.
Two years ago he was wrongly accused that he tried to rape one of his female students at the university. This forced him to come out of the closet and to admit that he has a boyfriend, but it did not help his case. He was still fired and unfortunately he is still receiving hate-mail by people he doesn’t know accusing him for something he hasn’t done.

After his morning routine ends, Jim goes back home alone (his boyfriend abandoned him after the scandal) and the next day he will have the other half of his muffin for breakfast while he stays in.

One of these mornings at the bookstore, he catches the eye of Marcus, a Dom and a regular at the local BDSM club ‘Hammer’. This is love at first sight. Marcus is going to pursue Jim and soon after Jim will move to Marcus’ house and he will start his training to become his sub. Jim is clueless about this lifestyle. He likes his routine, his coffee, his psychologist, his pills and his peace and quiet. He doesn’t even like sex any more.

This will not stop the unstoppable Marcus. And he will be so incredibly pushy - to say the least. Before Jim realizes what is going on, he will have a tattoo on his back and a nipple ring. And the tattoos and the piercing will not stop there.

The story was okay, not bad actually. But I became a bit repetitive after a while. It seems that the answer to everything was a good old spanking or paddling or flogging. Every time Jim is facing an emotional breakdown, or he feels sad or he has panic attacks or he needs a coffee, Marcus is suggesting that Jim should be spread on his lap on the bench. And of course Marcus never stops pushing the limits of Jim.

Anyway I think the book would have been better if it had half pages and a bit more progress in the story. After a while I was just counting the tattoos and the piercings. And I was making bets with myself of how many more of them the previously shy, uncertain professor will have.

The book makes a turn towards the end and becomes very emotional. Jim starts talking about his secrets and the pain inside and the cruelty that the others and his parents show to him. I could almost hear my own heart cracking and breaking. Deeply emotional times are the only times in fact that Jim uses his safeword to avoid answering painful questions.

In the end of the book, the two lovers will feel content, comfortable with each other, happy and they will have their happily ever after. I wouldn’t ask for anything else.
BUT I have to admit that I am a bit gutted, because the people who have hurt Jim are not punished somehow. I do not believe that "Sometimes you can be right and still lose everything". I believe in retribution and justice.

So, if you like stories which take the main character out of his comfort zone (and he enjoys it), this book is for you.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the way Sean Michael writes. There is emotion, tenderness, caring... and lots of hot sex! ;)

Jim is an uptight and angry man due to some very unfortunate things that have happened in his life. When he walks into the bookstore, he is pissed off, and takes his anger out on the young manager. There happens to be a very large, very attractive man there that witnesses his behavior and really tells him where to go...

Marcus is in the bookstore when Jim comes in all snarly and mad. He wants to take Jim over his knee and spank him until he learns some manners. Marcus thinks Jim needs order and control in his life more than anyone. He decides to pursue Jim and teach him a little bit about the D/s lifestyle.

Jim wants nothing to do with Marcus at first, but before long the two of them are beginning a very intense emotional and physical relationship. Jim soon begins to blossom. He gets more productive, less angry and has more control over his emotions. Jim feels like there must be something wrong with him if he enjoys this lifestyle so much, even with all of his forward progress. On top of that, he and Marcus are falling in love... Can the two of them make it work, even with all of the issues Jim has?

This book is great if you enjoy D/s themes. The story is engaging even though the book is long. I loved seeing Jim become a stronger more self sufficient person. Marcus is a wonderful Dom. He listens to Jim and is very aware of his limitations. Marcus takes things slow, and yet pushes Jim's boundaries whenever possible. There is tons of smokin hot sex, as well as talk of some piercings and tattoos. I really enjoyed this love story!

xo

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The writing is not good. The dialogue is unnatural and the narrative just odd. For example, Marcus gives Jim some eggs to whisk and "Jim nodded, stirring and whistling softly, the sound maddening." What is maddening about whisking eggs? Was the whistling maddening? Maddening in a hot and horny way, in a nails on a chalkboard way? There was a fair amount of head hopping and POV changes. The power exchange felt very, very wrong. Several spankings into the book and still no safe word, Marcus just "knew" Jim needed to be spanked even though all they had had was a quick exchange in a bookstore and a cup of coffee. The first spanking happened without prior discussion or consent. There are a few spankings, Jim screaming and protesting the whole time, and then Marcus is telling Jim what he is allowed to eat and telling him he should move in with him. The sex seemed repetitive, and Marcus just never stopped spanking Jim. All the time. Here a spank, there a spank, everywhere a spank spank. Spanks seemed to be both punishment and reward, and at times Marcus seemed to end every sentence with a spank. Supposedly Jim had never been involved in anything BDSM prior to meeting Marcus in the bookshop a few days ago, but after one night together there is talk of moving in, schedules, chores, diet change, and getting tattoos and piercings. I had to stop when Marcus talked Jim into the tattoo that he didn't want after their first night. This can't even qualify as PWP since the author did seem to try to have a plot, and the sex scenes were dull. Also, Jim stammers a lot when he is nervous and protesting, and the author wrote that using periods instead of dashes or ellipses which was confusing and jolted the reader from the story.

[Danny Tyran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quotes:

When Jim looked at himself seeing the bruises left by his first flogging, he said: “That’s not normal”.
Marcus answered: “Oh, baby. This is so much better than ‘normal’”.

“There’s no need to be ashamed. A man who can embrace his needs, who knows himself and accepts those needs is nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Baby. You’re supposed to wake me if it’s before 7. Remember?” said Marcus.
“But you were sleeping,” answered Jim.
“Hence the Waking me part,” said Marcus. lolllll

Prologue:
I wrote in my previous review (for Don’t) that I have enough of authors imagining Doms or subs who always had a past of abuses, or were harmed, or were destabilized by a lot of bad things they lived, or are crackpots. I’d like that someday authors write good BDSM stories with perfectly sane characters. I am sorry to say that it is not in this book that I found what I am looking for, given that Jim has a family that hates him and has lived a very bad experience shortly before his meeting with Marcus.

REVIEW:
This book is classic Sean Michael material, meaning it's heavy on sex and light on plot. The fact that Jim is harassed by friends of the student who falsely accused him of rape could have given an interesting intrigue, but the author did not exploit this event. It left loose ends. In fact, there was very little outside conflict--all the conflict came from within Jim, the sub who does not know he is a sub, and his difficulty reconciling his needs with his beliefs. The focus of this novel is Marcus' attempts to help Jim overcome his emotional problems, accept who he is, and deal with the complications he faces in life. I always find the inner experience in BDSM books much more interesting that the outer one. So I cannot complain about this.

A lover knows only humility, he has no choice. He steals into your alley at night, he has no choice. He longs to kiss every lock of your hair, don't fret, he has no choice.

Excerpt from a love poem of Rumi.

But there is much better manners to approach somebody than to stalk and kidnap him/her, particularly somebody who lived recently a disturbing experience and could be very worried of being followed this way. This is the combination of the way Marcus accosted Jim and of Jim’s vulnerability that made this story questionable at the beginning. If Jim had been more self-confident, the behavior of Marcus would have seemed less improper. Given Jim’s issues, I would have preferred that Marcus seduces him and gets to know him better rather than to drag him to his place the day they met and to force him to move into his home a few days later.
We cannot say that Michael's Doms do nothing but frown and use their whips. But they tend to be right and always know what's best for the sub. That is not very realistic. Marcus is no exception, although in one instance he says something that angers Jim enough to make him safeword and be truly angry. I liked this moment because it humanizes Marcus and doesn't make him out to be a strong, perfect being who can do nothing wrong.
I didn't feel I knew Marcus and I wish there was more of a description and perhaps background. Even so, contrarily to other reviewers, I liked his pushiness. I think that the job of a Dom is to make his sub go forward beyond his limits, and improve himself in everything.
John Preston wrote in In Search of a Master:

“I wanted to live a life where the most outrageous fantasies and the most frightening nightmares merged with reality so much I couldn’t distinguish any borders. To leave all this at the level of just being a sexual toy for two unimaginative athletes was… too little. I didn’t want to settle for good sex. I wanted a magician.”

Preston could be considered as a precursor of the BDSM community. He is dead now, but he was an inspiration for so many people that it would be hard to encompass and surpass his success. But there were many reasons for that success. He was not looking for only kinky sex and he was not afraid to overcome his barriers and cross his borders. He wanted to live intensely.
One of the GR reviewers wrote that subs who are of sound mind will run away when Doms say that they want to push their subs’ limits. On the contrary, they are the ones we should look for. They are those that Preston described as “magicians”. So I loved Marcus’ pushy side. Maybe the first tattoo came a little too fast, but I like BDSM scenes in general, so I do not complain because there were many.
** There are many spankings, four piercings (just one fully described), two floggings, one whipping with the riding crop, many tattoos (but only two fully described), one fisting and one sounding.
About sex:
"I could do this forever", Marcus said, speaking of fucking with Jim. Given the considerable amount of pages (certainly over 45% of the book) full of sex scenes, I believe him completely. At two-thirds of the story, Marcus said to Jim that they have not yet done it against the shower wall. I'm really surprised given the number of fucks they had until then. Sometimes, there are 3 sex scenes one after the other. Many times, I thought "Yeah! Finally, they’re finished," and then they went on again and again; all these sex scenes described in too much detail.
At the beginning, I find the sex scenes interesting because everything was so new to Jim and the sex scenes showed the chemistry between the 2 MCs in bed at least. But there is an overload of sex scenes and they became fast repetitive. What I do not understand is why the author does not realize it too. It seems that for the author, fucking is a panacea capable of curing all psychological ailments and even many physical ones. But, is he/she forced to give so many details when describing the billionth sex scenes? He/She could describe them in detail the first times and then tells us just what is special in the other numerous sex scenes instead of explaining that Marcus puts a finger here and another there, and Jim does this and that with his tongue, and they kisses here and there, Marcus nibbles this and that, and on and on again and again. That’s too much! That becomes so very dull that I had to skip most of them.
Mr./Ms. Michael, you won’t lose your readers if you cut some parts of the sex scenes, I assure you. Do you do it for the money? I mean, do you stuff your books with so many sex scenes because the more your books have pages, the more $$ you could ask for them? Don’t you know that if your books were cheaper, you could sell more of them and get new readers too?
Since there is over 25% of the story that is about trivial things like eating, sleeping, cooking and shopping; if you add it to the sex scenes, that does not leave a lot of pages for a plot or really important events. Personally, I am not sure I will read your books again, mainly because at least 45% of all yours books are sex scenes and the rhythm of the rest is too slow.
About the writing itself:
There are many punctuation errors and a few spelling mistakes. That should have been easily corrected if the book had been proofread and better edited.
Suggestion:
Sean Michael should write in collaboration with Jack L. Pyke. ;) Jack could teach Sean how to put a little suspense in his/her writing and maybe succeed to persuade him/her to stop repeating constantly "mine", "yours", "mine", "yours", "so sexy" and "so pretty". Meanwhile, Jack could learn about real "compassion" between Dom and sub. Probably, their common books would be more interesting than their separate works. They’d complement and compensate for the shortcomings of each other.

I thought I’d give just 3 stars to this novel because of the overload of sex, all the other kinds of repetition (yours, mine, mine, yours, etc.) and because of the dub-con at the beginning of the story; but then I remembered that the focus of this book is on making one human being become better and happier, and I decided that just this deserved one more star. So, I give it 4 stars.

[Irina Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this a few eons ago and can't remember the details very well, but I want to explain why I gave it only two stars.
Reading this book felt like venturing into the dark side of fanfiction - and by dark side I mean the huge area of simplistic and badly written porn with some random splatters of gooey feels that serves as a background for the kind of fanfiction I read. You know, the brilliant kind. *g*

So, yes, I know that Sean Michael is lik the god of M/M BDSM (or so I understood, in the early stages of my M/M addiction), but... don't touch this.

[Camy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 48%.

Okay. I'll start with the positive since this started out as a positive read. I LOOOOVE stories with brats and Tops who sweep in and manage their messy lives. Love! It's my -hmmmmmm- 'thing'.

This story featured such, thus I was completely on board. I was afloat with this book despite the typos, amateur writing, and stiff dialogue. I was thoroughly enjoying the premise, the plot, the point of the work.

But I began to sink under an extreeeeeemely repetitive proliferation of sex. I was sore from reading all that sex. Seriously, it was 24/7. After a bit, there was no relationship, very very little disciplining, hardly any conversation, and no plot >-(

This is a shame because the first half of the book sets up some really interesting storylines that I wanted to read about, for example the rape accuser. But I just, I couldn't. I couldn't wade through anymore sex.

Don't make me....

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This first book in Sean Michael's Hammer series features Marcus, a leather worker heavily involved in the BDSM lifestyle and Jim, a former professor who's been through some bad times and is having problems dealing with his life. When they meet for the first time in a bookstore Marcus is both appalled at Jim's rudeness and also instantly drawn to him. Marcus is sure Jim is a natural submissive and he'd love to take him home and spank the rudeness right out of him.

Some people might think Marcus was crazy --Jim had been pretty clear that he wasn't interested. But Marcus listened to more than just what people said with their mouths. Jim needed someone in his life to take charge. Marcus knew it like he knew how to breathe -he just did. He'd learned to trust his gut implicitly.

Jim has never been into the lifestyle and in fact knows very little about it. His view of life is that a real man is always in control and he is shocked at the things Marcus tells him. Jim is sure that's not for him but once he starts letting Marcus into his life he will have a difficult time reconciling that view with the submissiveness that Marcus starts to bring out in him.

[♥Laddie♥ (Lee Lee) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I changed the rating from five stars to two stars. This book tried to defeat me but I stuck to it. It was painful. So painful. Repetitive, simple and in some places just bad writing. I'm kind of sad that I didn't love it like I remember loving it the first time I read it. Oh well.

[Elithanathile · Rating 1 out of 5]

NOTE: During this weekend I will have quotes [read: proof] of what irritated me like mad. I will NOT forget, trust me >:-o!!!

I reacted very negatively to this book. Aggressively so. Marcus ... in the guise of being a protagonist, comes across as a psychopath. Especially with what Jim is going through and how he essentially got ostracized for a crime he DID NOT commit, Marcus goes ahead and exploits that. The way Marcus thinks ... is the way a rapist, murderer, pedophile, stalker, or general psychopathic what-have-you thinks. I'll bring up some quotes as an example and you'll see.
I would have still read this book if it were being told from the perspective of an out and proud PSUEDO-psychopath [think a la Dexter], in that there's a method to the story, a purpose, a plot. If there were a REASON to get inside this supposed monster's head. If THAT were the point of the story. If there was retribution at the end of it all. If at the end of it all, the guy isn't REALLY a monster at all, he just THINKS he is.
But THIS guy? He functions under the cloak of "normality", he doesn't think he's a lunatic at all, and THAT is the sign of a true predator. That's what Marcus is, he's a predator. And since I'm not interested in reading about a protagonist who's really an antagonist in sheep's clothing, I'll be tapping out of this one. An MC isn't a protagonist just because the author tells you he is; his actions speak for themselves, and his actions are TRULY dubious!!!

I am a passionate advocate for legitimate power standing behind the word NO!! No means no ... and when you say it, in action or in words, you are ALWAYS in the right mind and you are ALWAYS right!! NOBODY has the right to question that. NOBODY!!!
Marcus did that ... that killed the MC for me!


Disclaimer: This is fiction and I respond to it as such. I am not basing this on or comparing it to reality. It's fiction. I am fully aware of it and and more than ready to acknowledge that. So it's definitely not about "suspending belief (or disbelief as the case may be), I am vehemently against hypocrisy; if I do it for one book, I'll apply the same mindset to most others. BUT, again, it's not about that. What I'm saying is this ... EVEN in an entirely fictional world, I think Marcus is a complete bag of nuts. I cannot (or more specifically, AM NOT WILLING to) fathom how ANY MC would cooperate with such lunacy. I am definitely not an expert on BDSM or DD and I STILL know that its foundation is TRUST!! You CANNOT impose a scene OR a lifestyle on someone else. You DEFINITELY cannot MAKE someone trust you ... the mere irony is blinding!! Marcus is a disgrace. Pure and simple. Fictional or not.

[Beck · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must admit that this book has left me a little bit confused. Was this about domestic discipline? Total Power Exchange? S & M? Added to the confusion is the back story of Jim...without a proper explanation of WHAT exactly happened meant that I became less sympathetic to his emotional issues the longer the book progressed. It also meant I was miffed when the book finished as I stuck it out to find out how the issue was eventually resolved. I hate loose ends...especially ones this big.

Another reviewer said that "... the whole book is like a stream of consciousness..." which I agree with completely. It was a really odd way to write & I must say that I had to force myself to read past the half-way mark because of the 'sameness' of the dialogue. This got boring very quickly. If the book were shorter it might not become such an issue.

Having been so negative, I would have to say that there is a major positive...the sex is HOT. Yes the BDSM is questionable but if you can get past that & the monotonous dialogue, you could enjoy the book.

Additional review...

So I've just re-read Bent 6 months after my original read & I must say that I can't say that the second reading was any more enjoyable...in fact, all the truncated sentences & dialogue nearly drove me mad..."...need. Want."..."I know baby." On & on & on & on...argh...& if I read the term 'Baby' one more time I might have screamed.

So why did I re-read a book I didn't particularly like? Mainly because I wanted to ensure that Sean Michael's writing style isn't for me...as she is such a prolific author, I didn't want to dismiss her entire body of work without thoroughly testing her style...I have now read half a dozen books & short stories written by her & sadly I'm going to have to avoid her work in the future...just too saccharine & there is a certain 'sameness' to her work, especially the sex scenes that makes me more inclined not to read anymore of her books.

[Day-thief · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first Sean Michael book and I'm mightily disappointed. There were loads of things I didn’t like or found just plain ridiculous:

The Neanderthal talk for one:

“Upstairs. Bed. Us. Now”

“Want. Love.”

“I need. Master”

The prose in general is unusual, to say the least (you could also call it simplistic, choppy, clumsy). The good thing, for such a long book, it was a very fast read and it mainly consists of dialogue, but it lacked substance (and yes, plot!). Very easy to understand how the author managed to write a zillion books already.

Then the behaviour of Marcus, the Dom: uhhh, so not good (as in not safe/sane/consensual). He steamrolls his ‘baby’ into BDSM/ tattoos (I think after what, 2 days?)/ a six pack/ a balanced diet/ moving in…

But nevertheless, it was weirdly refreshing too. I can’t point my finger to it, but sometimes little things felt real and well observed. And at least in the beginning, it was funny too.

[~ Lei ~ Reading Is An Adventure ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way this was written and it grabbed from the first page which is a good thing because it's 494 pages, a real time investment.

Although Marcus came across as arrogant and a know-it-all, in the D/s books that I've read (and it's not many), a good Dom always knows what is best for his submissive and as the story progressed, Marcus gave Jim the structure he needed to survive. It is a sex fest - check my tags for content.

I did feel a little claustrophobic reading this book and I don't know if it was because it was so long or it was just such an intense relationship - Marcus and Jim seemed so isolated. Although I think that is what Jim needed, but it was a little heavy for me.

It gives me a lot to think about and I did enjoy it because it took me out of my comfort zone.

[Awilk -never sleeps- · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had seen this book, but was never certain it would be for me from the reviews I had looked at. So glad that something changed my mind, as this turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.

I had never read this author before, but I will be reading more. I enjoyed how the characters connected to fulfill each others needs, and the secondary characters have me wanting to read more about this world.

The writing style sometimes was a little confusing, but not enough to take away any enjoyment I felt while reading. There was an awful lot of sex, but that was what I wanted, so that was in this books favour.

I will be reading more of this series, and will also look at some of the other work by this author.

[Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down, one of the less annoying bdsm series. Marcus (age 30) is a big bad Dom who is attracted to Jim (age 31) an ex-college professor whose life was ruined by a false accusation of rape. Marcus draws a reluctant Jim into his bdsm lifestyle.

I didn't highlight any quotes, not really that type of book.

[BlackMamba · Rating 1 out of 5]

Abbandonato. Non fa per me. Dopo il 200esimo "baby" non ho più retto.
Mi piacciono i vezzeggiativi, ma quando si esagera diventa ridicolo, soprattutto nell'ambito del BDSM.
Peccato, la storia era quasi interessante, ma oltre l'inverosimile.

[Charly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pushier Dom than in most BDSM books I’ve read

Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.

Rating: 8/10

PROS:
- Michael does a good job of creating sub characters who really BENEFIT from domination (as opposed to simply being turned on by it). Poor Jim is established very soon into the novel as being in a really bad place in life. Once he meets Marcus, that slowly but surely changes.
- There’s tons of sex in this book, but I liked it because the sex is used to show the characters’ evolving attachment to each other as well as Jim’s blossoming as a sub and the gradual calming of his frenetic temperament.
- The sex starts almost immediately, as is typical of this author’s books, but Marcus waits to actually penetrate Jim until about a third of the way through the book, which I liked. That scene doesn’t occur until the two of them have built up some trust and have begun to develop deep feelings for each other.
- The two characters have a natural chemistry that translates into scenes where it’s obvious that they’re comfortable with each other and enjoy each other’s company. There’s a scene where Marcus and Jim go grocery shopping that had me giggling for about 5 straight minutes.

CONS:
- The first time Marcus takes Jim home and gives him a spanking, Jim is adamant about not wanting to do that. But because he doesn’t have a safe word, Marcus just ignores Jim’s protests. Marcus’s first thought about safewords comes after they’ve already done 2 or 3 scenes, and it’s several scenes later before they actually get around to selecting a safeword and using it. Overall, Marcus has a problem with not listening to Jim, especially since Jim is a total newbie to the BDSM scene.
- There were several plot threads that weren’t wrapped up to my satisfaction at the end of the book. The story here is basically just little scenes here and there of the two men’s life together, but a few times, one of the guys would bring something up (the idea of Jim being collared, for example), and that “something” would never come up again; thus, some things I was looking forward to seeing I never got to see.
- I think it’s sweet that Marcus calls Jim “baby,” but he goes a bit overboard on it sometimes, saying it a little too often for my taste.

Overall comments: I liked this book, as I like most BDSM works by this author. Marcus is a super pushy Dom; I think SOME of that is a result of arrogance, but I also think sometimes he’s just entirely clueless about how his actions will be perceived by other people. For the most part, I didn’t mind his pushiness, but some readers might very well hate him.

[Elisa Rolle]

The patience is the strong men's virtue. Or women... Since to read Bent by Sean Michael you need to have a lot of patience, it's a 400 pages book and so, patience, time and a comfy chair. That is, if you are like me and usually you want to finish a book in the same day you start it.

Jim was a college teacher. Gay but maybe not so out, he was involved in a scandal when one of his female student accused him of rape. Obviously Jim was innocent, but nevertheless he lost his work, his home and also his partner. And so now he is a grumpy man, who sticks to an obsessive routine to not fall apart.

Marcus is a Dom who is deeply involved in the life. When he meets for the first time Jim, he knows that the man is a natural sub and needs a Master in his life to help him to rebuild what he has lost. Even if Jim has never felt the pull to the D/s lifestyle, he has all the symptoms: he needs a routine to focus, he needs someone who gives him rules to respect, and he sometime needs to break the rules to be punished.

It's pretty hard to read of how Jim submits to Marcus in every side of his life; Jim is a very clever man, with an independent life (even if ruined) and was taught that a man is the master in the couple. Plus he has always tried to "hide" what he is, avoiding public display of his homosexuality. What he suffered during the scandal was a real "mental" raping, being exposed to stranger eyes in every intimate details. And so embrace the D/s lifestyle is hard, since it's not only a thing he can share with his partner in the intimacy of his house; and even if they avoids the "scenes", little details betray their real relationship in front of stranger eyes.

So yes, I like the book, above all I like the tenderness between Marcus and Jim, and the fact that Marcus is not always a big bad Dom, he is able to address Jim to the right path without crashing him under his own personality. What I have problem to like is when Jim asks to be left alone, and instead Marcus forces him to face all the trouble together.

Sean Michael has a very particular style; it's difficult to explain, but the images and the dialogue are like flashes or lightnings, a non stop bombing that always takes the reader in alarm. The use of short chapter helps in this sensation of rollercoast, since reading them, you have a pick after the other, in small sequences.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1603704353/?...

[Ayanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I attempted to read this one several months ago and couldn't get through it. It just fundamentally bothered me.

The beginning still bothered me, but I was able to suspend my disbelief enough to just go with the flow and not worry too much about issues dealing with consent and whatnot (as weird as that sounds).

Ah, perhaps I'm just a jaded soul now and can take it.

It's weird because it starts off rather like non-con and then goes into dub-con and then you're blinking wondering if you fell into Stockholm along with Jim.
Except it's not really that.
Yeah, there weren't any explicit consents or whatnot when the thing started, but Jim was never going to consent, not the way he was, and in many ways, he DID need it...

I dunno...this one's got me in quite an intellectual tizzy.

On another hand...
There's something weird going on with Jim besides all that peripheral circumstance-related shit.
Is this bad editing, weird encoding, or does Jim have a really odd verbal tic?
Is anyone else seeing all those random "I."'s all over everywhere?
I'm not really sure what to make of that. On one hand, it could be a quirk, but on the other hand... It's just "I." No trailing off or anything, no stuttering, etc.
Just "I." In random places.

There were also some odd comma usages sprinkled throughout, but they were generally technically extraneous commas that still made oratory sense. They're the kind of extra commas that people sometimes put before "because," because there tends to be a natural pauses there (e.g. in this sentence).

I think what I had the most issues with was the piercing and tattooing because the whole thing seemed so dub-con.

It was solid, though. Aside from the above, the writing was good and it was quite engaging.
I actually got chills at one point I think it was when Jim was talking about his shitty childhood and the mental hospital his dad consigned him to.
That earned it the extra star and the place in my faves shelf.

[Tam · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

So I got curious about Marcus from what I read about him in Push and I'd read a short recently with Marcus and Jim so thought I'd check it out. Marcus sees surly Jim in the bookstore and "knows" he's the one, even though Jim is not in the lifestyle at all. However he basically overwhelms him and before Jim knows what hit him he's moved in with Marcus and discovers that he's totally into spanking and pain. Marcus comes across as the totally smug dom who knows what the other person needs, and while it turns out he's right and he does care, I found him a bit eye roll worthy. I liked Jim, he'd had a rough life after being accused of raping a student and even though he was found innocent he's still being harassed by the sorority she belonged to with threatening letters. This was one aspect of the story I found interesting and Marcus was pushing Jim to see another lawyer and then ... the whole concept just dropped off the table and there was no resolution. I kept waiting for it to be dealt with. Again with the head hopping which I found a bit more confusing in this one, and I started skimming the sex scenes because every time was the same, you're stressed, I'll paddle your butt and fuck you better. Oh, you're stressed? Let me ... over and over. I get it. That's what he needs, lets move on shall we? So I didn't like this as much as Push since it seemed to set up some of the conflict and then just let it die away although I liked Jim.

[Missy Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a long-ass e-book, 634 pages according to my Nook. That wouldn't have been a bad thing if 80% of it wasn't made of sex scenes. THAT wouldn't have been bad either if all of my questions had been answered by the end. Halfway through I stared skipping over the sex to look for answers and unfortunately remained unsatisfied. SM's writing was pretty solid. Great voices, great tension, great explanations for my curious mind about the world of BDSM for this M/M couple. The problem was Jim and Marcus are complex characters with very little explanation. All I knew of Marcus by the end was he had a muscular body, shaved head and loved being a Dom. I was given a lot more of Jim, but there is still so much I don't know. Did he have siblings that also dealt with his preacher father's abuse? What did his mom think about it? Does she exist? I was waiting for a climactic scene involving Jim's ex that never happened and I felt cheated. There is so much more than could've taken up the multiple pages of sex scenes to make this an outstanding story. I loved the explanations of the lifestyle seen through both men's eyes, but it wasn't enough. This book is part of a series and now I'm wary of reading any more. Will the rest be all sex and little substance? The sex scenes were great, had me squirming in my seat, but became tiresome as the focus of the storyline.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this first book in Sean Michael's 'Hammer Club' series. One of the things I liked the best was watching Jim's evolution and seeing the confidence he began to have in himself. Having been dealt a pretty shitty hand, far more than once, in his lifetime, seeing him working and trying so hard to trust in Marcus and their relationship was lovely.

There were a couple of plot points that were raised but then fizzled out which kind of bummed me a bit, but the writing was so good, I ignored it. The sex was hot and pretty much all the time. I think I would have keeled over from that much sex but guys in their early 30's do seem to be rather voracious, in my opinion anyway.

'Bent' is definitely a different take on the BDSM lifestyle as these two rarely went to Hammer, and when they did it was for lunch or dinner, although I got the impression that Marcus is going to be working on Jim to push more boundaries. The intensely emotional scenes were beautifully done and I learned quite a bit reading this. Thank you, Sean.

[Rissa (an M/M kinda Girl!!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally getting to write up a review for this one. This was my 1st Sean Michael book and it's definitely not my last...I must continue with this series (and check out his other stuff as well)!

I'm not gonna do the recap of the story, I'm never any good at that. Let's just say that Marcus (big, bald & tattooed) is very much into the lifestyle & Jim (clean cut, ginger) doesn't have any ideas about it.

Marcus didn't quit...he kept working/telling/spanking/pushing Jim until he started to understand things about himself & the lifestyle...that it was ok to feel this way.

I LOVED the different ways Marcus pushed Jim & if you've read the book, you can agree or disagree with me but I found them all to be pretty hott!

The downside to this book IMO..was the overuse of a few words & phrases. Yes we know how yous feel and it probably was mentioned so much because Jim really did need to hear it all the time until he could really start to believe it himself.

[Phetra Hedlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! I really loved everything about it. It is a Sean Michael master piece! I love the intence, beautiful and erotic relationship between Marcus and Jim. I love how Jim has trouble adapting and doesn't just "fall into submission" but demands Marcus to prove to him he is a real Master and work hard to earn his place as Jim's Sir.

I love Marcus strength and the way he show that strength. He never raises his voice he never loses his calm really but still he always gets his point across. But I swear that I half the time want to paddle his ass about how he insist on that Jim can't have any coffee. It drives me insane! *chuckles* It pisses me off to no end, but I love it!

This book, along with the books of Billy/Montana are by far my favorites in the series! Don 't miss it!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book.

The begining bugged me as too far fetched - how many relationships are really love at first sight and how did the Dom just KNOW that the sub was a sub

Anyway I guess I had a hard time suspending disbelief on this one.

The writing bugged me too - I couldn't always tell who the dialog belonged to or even who the sexual moves were being done by and to. Too many dialog lines that were finished off with the characters thoughts.

Lots of sex - almost to the point of boredom which I can't even believe I would ever say!!! And how could I not love a book about a dom training a sub - but it just didn't cut it for me....

[Liz Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't believe I'm saying this--I got bored with all the sex.

I liked the tenderness between the characters and the growth of trust and yeah, the kinkiness. I prefer stories about the development of love--but I can get into stories about the development of trust & character growth, so this was fine. For four stars, it would need to be about 100 pages shorter and have a bit more in terms of conflict. Every incipient conflict was erased by the guys being reasonable and communicating with each other. Totally awesome in a real life relationship, not so compelling to read about.

I'm not sure if I'll seek out more by Sean Michael. Does he have a better editor in later books?

[Line · Rating 1 out of 5]

This ended up being a DNF for me. I've been recommended this one over and over, and I gave in.
But yeah, this is why I've promised myself: 'NO MORE BDSM books!!'
UGH, the insta-lust (or whatever), the complete disregard for Jim's wishes, Jim 'forgetting' he has a choice/Marcus not giving him one?!?
Yeah no, this did not work for me, but I will try the next one in the series, since it keeps popping up in my recommendations...

[Fernanda Parente · Rating 4 out of 5]

hot steamy sex and lots of spanking. Not that I'm a huge fan of BDSM but Sean Michael's book are a lot of fun

[Ashley D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure why I waited so long to actually start this series. There were a lot of things I liked about the book, but there a few things I didn't really like or understand.

Overall, I like both Marcus and Jim, even though I had issues with Marcus at times. I think Marcus at times pushed Jim to the very edge of what he was really comfortable with, maybe even a bit past it at times. Marcus always seemed to know what Jim needed, and I'm not sure it was realistic that Marcus just knew what Jim needed, even though they hadn't been together that long. I was glad to see Jim had a backbone and could stand up for himself when it was called for, even if he tended to give Marcus what he wanted.