Unearthed

The Dungeon Black Duology #1

by Kora Knight

Love. The most powerful force in existence, but also the most ruthless. Cunning and deceptive. Man’s greatest Achilles heel. Leaving all who embrace it weak and vulnerable.
At least that’s how Dom-for-hire Max Kelley sees it, after the love of his life knocked him on his ass. A brutal blow that not only stole his breath, but decimated his ability to trust. Turning him cold and cynical. The TKO he never saw coming.

Love. A mistake Max won’t ever make again.
Meaning no more relationships—not exactly a hardship. Just the thought of dating makes him queasy, and one of the reasons he doms for a living. To sexually engage without the poison of intimacy. The other reason? To keep his demons sated. With whips and chains, and scandalous kink. A fiery mix that always hits the spot.

That is, until a bright-eyed beauty walks into his life and refuses to leave.

Sean Matthews. College senior and flirt extraordinaire. Max’s newest—and greenest—client sub. Man, is he delicious; able to push Max’s buttons, able to make him crave the things he knows he shouldn’t.

Sound the alarm, this can only mean trouble. Unfortunately, deterring Sean proves virtually impossible, and now Max finds himself at a crossroads. Man up and kick his favorite sub to the curb… or succumb to his own caged desires.

** Warning: Contains references to sensitive matters involving teens, as well as mentions pertaining to child abuse, that some might find disturbing.
This BDSM romance also contains intensely explicit scenes both inside and out of the dungeon.

** Note from the author: While this duology can be considered a stand alone, I highly recommend readers visit the prior series (Upending Tad: A Journey of Erotic Discovery) first for two reasons: It was the chemistry of Tad and Scott that started it all and won these books such a devoted following. But also, the love interests in Unearthed (Max and Sean) were first featured in the previously mentioned series, giving the reader a unique first impression of them from Tad and Scott's POV. Most readers would agree that Max definitely made his mark in a very striking way long before Unearthed ever came to be.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, College, Dark

393 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 30, 2016

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 2.5 Stars ***

This book was a scattered mess.

I thought that the first 10% was beautiful and heartbreaking. I was smitten with the characters, invested in their budding awareness and subsequent relationship, and then had my heart ripped out and stomped on. Oh, I love a good emotional one-two punch!

At this point, Knight had me in the palm of her (likely) leather-clad hand. I was ready to go through the shit with Max in order for him to come out the other side with his happily ever after.

But then we jumped through time and got 10% of the book that was a whole lot of tell with not enough show. And the quality of the writing and editing took an abrupt turn. Nothing about the way that this section of the book was written made me care the way the first bit did. I just kept thinking, "Can this part be done now? I'm bored."

Jump forward in time another 11 year and now we start to get back to it. But... The writing was still amateurish. Obviously, I love me a good sentence fragment - I use them all the time to drive home a point or to give what I'm writing a certain rhythm and feel to it - but I'm not a published author. There was just a point at which they became too much for me - especially because the book wasn't being written in first person present tense (when they are, a lot of rules about grammar and sentence structure can be ignored in order to give your characters' world a certain vibe). And typos abounded in this book! Is it too much to ask for a proofreader?! Dear God.

I'll be honest, I am a pretty big fan of Knight's Up-ending Tad series. I think her first book about melted my brain with its hotness and then she kept me engaged by bringing the feels and slowly developing the characters more and more with each installment. In this one, however, I didn't find the bdsm as enjoyable. Over and over I found myself thinking:

"I don't think a real Dom would say this."

"I don't think a real Dom would feel like this."

"I don't think a real Dom would do this."

I'm the first to admit that I know very little about the BDSM lifestyle outside of popular fiction, but I just can't imagine a single Dom that looks at a hard limit and goes "cool! That'll be the perfect way to punish you, then." Like, from everything I've read - and everything I feel in my gut - that shit just wouldn't fly.

So this book had two characters fighting their feeling for one another and kinky as fuck sexual contact - two things I love in my books - but I just didn't like it as much as Knight's previous stories. I'll give book 2 a go, though, because Max and Sean's relationship is completely unresolved and I can't just leave it like that.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This hit completely differently to the glory of Tad and Scott’ story in Upending Tad, Bundle 1. The first 10% was an emotional gut punch and really dragged me in. Max’s shock and grief was devastating. Then everything moved at a glacial pace and I found myself skimming for a bit there. This could have used a solid edit to cut down a lot of the words. Especially as it was going backwards from the scenes we saw between them in the Upending Tad series, getting their history together was good but I found parts dragged unnecessarily. I love slow burn but this didn’t quite achieve the level of tension that I like. However towards the end things definitely ramped up and I’m trusting the process, and Jessica’s recommendations, that book 2 is going to make it all worth it.

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Max ha tenido la vida que siempre ha querido. Despues de superar la muerte de su mejor amigo y novio al final de la secundaria, encontro su vocacion de profesor de artes y Dom. La primera, fue lo que siempre soño, ser un artista, un escultor, y poder enseñar a otros para que pudieran desarrollar sus talentos. Pero los segundo, fue mas por casualidad, le dio la habilidad de controlar a sus parejas y de liberar su enojo (por la muerte de su novio de secundaria) de una forma mucho mas sana, y que le permitiera mantener sus sentimientos a raya, de forma de no volver a enamorarse jamas.
Ahora, viviendo junto con su mejor amigo Scott (solo mejor amigo), comienza a sentir una atraccion diferente hacia uno de sus modelos de escultura, quien ahora quiere ser su sub. Pero podra Max aceptar sus sentimientos hacia este joven sub? Podra volver a abrir su corazon? Podra su nuevo sub enseñarle el camino a la verdadera felicidad?

Esta serie es un spin-off de otra del autor que lei hace ya algun tiempo, donde nos mostraban la relacion de su compañero de casa Scott (Upending Tad), me acuerdo haber quedado con la duda sobre su compañero Max y el porque no queria una relacion, pero me parece que este libro tomo un poco al extremo ese deseo de los fans de la saga anterior.
El libro es muy largo, y demasiado detallado en el pasado de Max, para ser un libro romantico-erotico, la cantidad de historia lo hace altamente aburrido por momentos, y solo hasta despues de la mitad del libro, es que realmente comenzamos a disfrutar de la historia.
En fin, voy a continuar con la serie, esperando que el proximo libro (aunque es igual de largo) sea un poco mas entretenido y menos aburrido.

[booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

**ARC RECEIVED FOR HONEST REVIEW**
HOLY EFFING HELL !!!
Right, so, i've read the Upending Tad series which is where we first meet Max & Sean.
In that Max came across as many thing, cold hearted, stubborn, arrogant, obtuse to name a few.
Sean came across as needy, wanting and sort of weak. Now, i have to admit i fell in love with them both in that series so was really excited for this book.
Kora seriously hasn't let me, or Max & Sean down with this. In this she gives us Max, Sean and Scott's backstory, how they met etc etc....... We get the reasoning as to why Max is as closed off as he is. A tale which will make even the biggest haters of Max understand him. She shows us Max's vulnerable and caring side while showing us that actually, Sean is definitely not the meek and timid little kitten that he could've been mistakenly perceived to be prior to this book.
They are both exactly what the other needs but in different ways; Sean pushes Max's buttons in the right way, making him question himself and his decision to close himself off to emotions.
I did worry that when i started this book it would carry on from where Max & Sean left off in the Upending Tad series, i needn't have done that though. I personally feel that starting it the way Kora did was perfect and was needed too so that we readers could understand Max better.
It was brilliant getting to see the other, softer side of Max (I always knew he had one) the side that does care but is, due to his past, so well hidden and with good reason.............
I also feel that this could be read before reading the Upending Tad series, or without reading that series at all. She has definitely done the guys proud in giving them their own story, instead of hiding them in the shadows of Tad & Scott. Also, whereas in Tad & Scott's series the kinkyness started almost straight away, in this it doesn't, which again fits Max and Sean perfectly, it slowly builds up towards it even though the insinuations of what's going to or could happen are always there in the way the are with each other. Once they do get kinky though.........WHEW !!! Get the fans ready to cool yourself down!!!
I seriously can NOT praise this book enough !!
Absolutely loved it and can't wait for the next one !!!!

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

Solid start to the duology. The first 10% was hard, Max, man you went through a rough patch before leaving for college! I wasn’t prepared to feel that much for you but you surprised me.

This was in the timeline of books 1 and 2 of “Upending Tad” so I am guessing the second book we see what happened in book three haha!

Can’t wait to see what happens with Max and Sean, since in the end of “Upending Tad” didn’t look like things were going well for the two.. so book two of this duology will have that angst for sure! Haha

Ps. Read the trigger warnings before going in to this book, there are two major ones (child abuse (sexually), and suicide)

[Dana aka ♥Belladonna♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did I not know this was coming out????
*Stomps foot and gives the stink-eye to my Goodreads feed*
*Then remembers new book and...*
SQUEEEEEEEEE!

[Elle aka Leftie aka Shoebelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC received from author as part of blog tour*

As a fan of the Upending Tad series, you bet your patutie I was excited when Kora first announced that Max and Sean will get their story. From that series, getting a glimpse of these 2, you can't help but wonder what's going on behind the dynamics that you're seeing between them.

So as a fan of that series, while this can complete stand alone, my review of this book will be tinged with my feelings about these 2 from that series. For me there's just no way around it.

This is the beginning of Max and Sean's story. You get Max' history and it shows what happened to make Max the person he is, the person I got a glimpse of in the other series. To see this 180 transformation for Max was quite emotional and sad in a way, but as you get to the present, kinda delish at the same time. By the time he meets Sean, he's fully transformed to the Dom he is.

Now Sean, I didn't to expect to fall in love with him as much as I thought I would. Of course I only saw only a small fraction of Sean's personality in the other series. Here, I got to see the witty, funny and flirty side of Sean. I saw the brat that's the right match for Max. But more than that, I saw the maturity, in a sense, arising from a messed up childhood. Seeing him reconcile some of his thoughts and feelings with Max' non-judgmental help, it showed a lot of depth.

Seeing this is only the first book, we're really not quite at the romance part. It's about getting to know Max and Sean individually and how the attraction is developing between them all within the context of the BDSM scene; some parts, I would admit, did push my limits. If you're like me and it's not a theme you tend to read, consider yourself educated more, hehe... And with Kora highly skilled with edging in her writing, prepare for one intense hot read.Hot dang! The droll exchange between these 2 (ok, of Max and Scott as well.. well, I cannot not mention Scott, hello! Oh, of Sean and his friend, Jonah, too!) coupled with the simmering heat between them... ooomph... talk about lethal combo!

Seriously can't wait for bk 2! At this point, I'm prepared to make a space for Max and Sean, next to Tad and Scott, in my fave couples category.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars

spin-off of Up-Ending Tad .Can be read as a stand alone.

This first part of this Duology starts with Max's story. I was very afraid to read what made Red the way he is and the first two chapters broke my heart.

After the first 25% of the book we get Sean and Max! I loved every one of their interactions even if I wanted to slap Red for being so cold and stubborn.
Sean and Max are polar opposites but do complement each other.

We get to know some of Sean's story too, that confused me as hell because it is actually awful but he's so okay with it that I couldn't be horrified by it.

I wouldn't say this book had romance because it doesn't. This first installment was more for us to get to know Sean and Max as individuals and a little bit of the their D/s dynamic.

I wouldn't say this book is heavy on the BDSM either because even though the theme is very important and we do read a lot about it, there are only two scenes, very descriptive tho, Kora definitely knows how to write a sex scene.
I do have to say that I liked Max as a Dom. He can be a dick sometimes as a person but he's a good a Dom.

The length of the book didn't bothered me but it is very long, personally it didn't surprised me because I had an idea of how Kora writes. She's very descriptive.

We do get to read more about Scott and Max's friendship. I love these two, they have an awesome relationship and what Max did for Scott definitely saved him.

My only disappointment was the relationship development. In Up-ending Tad: Afterglow there is a snippet of Max and Sean and by the end of this book we are not even close to that point in their relationship and it was a little bit of a let down because this book is very long so you expect to more.

I can't wait to read part two, Sean is everything Max needs just doesn't know it yet.


**ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review**

[Elena]

No rating because I mostly skimmed both books.
After reading the first few chapters I realized Max and Sean’s story had too much angst for my taste, but I loved reading about the scenes from the Upending Tad series from Max’s perspective and seeing more of what was going on on Scott’s side at the time, since almost all of the original series is in Tad’s POV.
I’m not usually a fan of random scenes about other couples and I think it might be annoying if you haven’t read the first series or simply don’t want MCs of other series to have their own POV now and then, but Tad and Scott are one of my favorite couples and the only reason I even skimmed the second book and read about Max and Sean’s finding their happy ending was because I was actively looking for new developments in Tad and Scott’s story. And I wasn’t disappointed, the scenes in their POVs in this series felt like an extended epilogue for them. :)
Still looking forward to Kai and Breck’s story.

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Screwing up my 2016 stats for reread! I think I liked it even more the second time. Seriously kinky fun.

First read 9/19/16 I received an ARC copy from the author and I am leaving a candid review.

This was quite a worthy successor to Upending Tad and now we get to learn what's up with Max! It's not necessary to read Scott and Tad's books first, as Scott has only a minor role within this book. Part of their story does run concurrently with this one and there's a great scene between Max and Sean, viewed through Tad's eyes. Those books are well worth reading.

This story begins with the backstory for Max and what drove him to become the rather angry, withdrawn figure that Tad met. He was shaped by rather tragic events while still young and he later drew on those experiences to help him become a popular and expert Dom. He also had a caring and empathetic heart at times, so we also find out more of how he became a mentor and best friend for Scott. Then there is Sean, who had his own travails growing up but is a beautiful, self-confident and talented college student. Max hires Sean to model for the sculpting class he teaches and they are drawn to each other. There's quite a bit of push-pull between them but Sean is determined to gain Max's interest.

The backstories and characterizations for Max and Sean fill the majority of the first half. It's a slow build and a slow burn as Max and Sean play cat and mouse. Actually, Sean is totally prey once Max decides to allow him into his dungeon. Sean knows nothing of BDSM but Max will only interact with him within the strict parameters of his Dom personality. Sean convinces him that he'd truly like to learn about being a sub. What I liked the most was the way the BDSM was presented. Max is training Sean as a sub for the balance of the story but Kora Knight avoids the sub-training 101 feel that other books have fallen into. There's no overuse of "boy" and "master" that annoy me so often. Instead there are Irish endearments and actual names! I think BDSM fans will be quite pleased with the approach and careful introduction that Max puts Sean through. The scenes with them together are rather long but quite sensuous and the heat and sexual tension ramp up higher with each encounter. There's a fair amount of kink, so be ready! The last scene in this book? Major hotness, and dirty, dirty things! (I really have to practice adding Gifs!) Nothing too extreme or nasty.

I did find myself a little taken aback with a particular situation presented in the story and some of the dialogue about it between the characters. I would have preferred to see it handled a bit differently. There is another book coming and perhaps it's addressed later, so I'll reserve judgment for now and won't spoil the story by defining it. There were a few errors, spelling or wrong words, in my copy but since it's an ARC, they may be corrected. I don't rate lower over minor errors, which weren't excessive anyway. The ending is just a little bit abrupt but the next book should be coming out soon to continue their story. I recommend this book to fans of moderate BDSM action and hurt/comfort stories!

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow... that was exhausting. Gotta be in the right frame of mind to like this, but... OK. Good enough on the relationship to keep me reading.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread #2 in preparation for Beck and Kai's book! EEEEEPPPP

For anyone who haven't read this duology: What are you waiting for?

1. Great writing
2. BDSM, somewhat hardcore but nothing overwhelming.
3. The hottest Steam because Kora Knight writes the best sex scenes.
4. More than erotica. This is erotica with feelings.
5. Scott Cameo! From Upending Tad
6. Slight age gap, teacher-student
7. Special treatment...because Max was enamored with Sean and didn't know what do to about it.
8. HFN.

On to book 2!

[Ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the best book I've ever read. Ever. Ever ever. My hands are shaking. This book ripped my fucking heart out and made me feel so all consumed like no other book I have ever read. I am having a really hard time with MY orgasm denial because I have to wait 25 sadistic days to read the second book and I taking a sick day that day to burn my retinas staring at my iPad screen. Ahhhhhh! It hurts Kora Knight! It hurts!!!!

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully kinky romance

Following on from Upending Tad this book is about Scott's brooding best friend Max and his not quite so submissive sub Sean.

We find out why Max is so emotionally distant and get the beginning of this seriously hot and kinky relationship as Sean starts to push buttons Max hasn't wanted to be seen for more than a decade.

The cover is as glorious as what goes on inside the pages.

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5
Loved it. Started pretty rough, I was a mess. Angry and sad. But I loved getting the background. Max is an intriguing character. Looking forward to more!!!

[Lara Di Iorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Inaspettato, intimo e profondo ❤️
La Knight è strepitosa🔝
Recensione: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been a 4 if it weren't so dragged out. It took any real tension out of the story and nothing really happened for how long this book was. I was getting frustrated with both characters about halfway through and barely anything had even happened by then! Much prefer Tad and Scott.

I'm also confused about why book 2 is so long also, unless it also moves at this glacial pace...

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

We first meet Max in another of Kora's series Upending Tad, A Journey of Erotic Discovery, Max being Scott's best friend and saviour of sorts. Yes, this particular story can be read as a standalone, but it helps to get any background information you can on our mysterious Max and I highly recommend the Upending Tad series anyway. I've already pre-ordered Revived: The Dungeon Black Duology, Book 2, cos this one is that good [minor typo niggles excepted, no 'e' at the end of heroin, for example].

We only got glimpses of Max in Tad and Scott's series, but it has to be said, those glimpses were not pretty [or particularly kind to Max]. He was hella moody with a frosty personality, a real bundle of fun [not]...and the way he seemed to treat Sean, his sub...well, he was a Dick to be perfectly blunt.

This story explains the whys of Max's somewhat cold, aloof and hard-hearted persona. It's mainly told from Max's POV, although Sean with his sunny smile does have a minor starring role, and while I can't say that I agreed with everything Max thought or did in his late teens, he was young, in love and utterly devastated when the huge life-changing event that occurred happened.

This is as far as I'm going, no spoilers from me BUT I can only hope that Max sees the good in Sean, and discovers that a life without love is a very lonely one indeed.

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED Kora Knight's Upending Tad series, so I was really looking forward to getting to this duology of books and getting Max's story - because he definitely was calling out for one in Tad's series.

We finally get to learn all about Max - what makes him who he is by the time Tad meets him, and why he is the way he is. And we get to meet Sean, the sub that Tad and Scott had to watch in a scene with Max back in Upending Tad. I love that we got to see him first meet Scott and help him out. I think this book would stand very well on its own if you haven't read the Upending Tad series, since it goes parallel to that series.

This book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger - it definitely continues directly into the second book, where Sean is now determined to make Max his. I think he's got a bit of an uphill battle to break Max from his years of self-loathing and pain!

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I loved this!! What the heck am I going to do until 11/30 waiting for the next book to come out!!

I loved getting the back story on Max and I REALLY loved how he took Scott under his wing. I totally fell in love with him at that moment. I think it's awesome how Sean is getting under his skin and Max is doing his best to keep him at bay, but he's slowly caving lol

I don't know why I'd never read anything from you Kora Knight, but I'm sure as hell glad that I saw this pop up on my feed because I've had the best time getting to know Scott, Tad, Max, and Sean and I cannot wait to read more!

[Bizzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Changing my rating to one star after learning the author has made comments that are extremely hurtful to the autistic community.

[The Reading's Love Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

RECENSIONE QUI: https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/...


"Spin off della serie Upending Tad": questa frase mi balla nella testa da quando ho iniziato la lettura di Dissotterrato e per tutta la lettura fino alla fine l'ho sentita non adatta, non perché sia sbagliata visto che tecnicamente lo è uno spin off, semplicemente trovo che sia, per struttura e narrazione, una storia che potrebbe essere stata creata anche prima della famosa serie che tutti amiamo; una storia che può essere letta indipendentemente dalla serie precedente e forse apprezzata ancora di più. Prima ancora di Scott e Tad, prima del Dungeoun e del Dom Maximus Kelley c'era un ragazzo sereno e felice che viveva giorno per giorno e cresceva, facendo progetti. L'amicizia, l'esplorazione della propria sessualità, l'amore grande e perfetto da diventare totalizzante era il suo mondo perfetto. Fino a quando tutto è esploso, tutto è andato perduto e ciò che ne resta non è altro che dolore e risentimento, furia e frustrazione. Attraverso una narrazione intima e emotivamente intensa l'autrice ci narra dell'evoluzione di Max, delle sue scelte, del suo percorso emotivo e psicologico. Con salti temporali in avanti, egregiamente gestiti, abbiamo una visuale ampia e dettagliata di come Max diventa l'uomo freddo e scostante che tutte abbiamo conosciuto, l'implacabile Dom a noleggio ma c'è molto di più di lui che viene fuori: la passione per l'arte e i mille interessi accademici, la sua capacità di capire la psicologia e i bisogni delle persone, l'istinto a proteggere chi ne ha bisogno, la predisposizione nel prendersi cura degli altri. Viviamo l'incontro con Scott, la nascita di un'amicizia fraterna, i traumi e il dolore che il nostro Scott ha dovuto affrontare e come Max lo ha aiutato e salvato giorno per giorno, come entrambi sono danneggiati ma si rimettono in sesto. Questa parte per chi come me ha amato follemente il personaggio di Scott è stata bellissima perché mi ha dato una sensazione di completezza che mi era mancata nella serie precedente e mostra ancora di più chi è Max oltre l'oscurità, oltre la corazza. Il BDSM è una parte importante e fondamentale nella storia che va oltre l'erotismo e la fisicità, è l'aspetto psicologico e terapeutico che la fa da padrone: è un mondo che attrae e si adatta perfettamente a Max, è la sua ancora di salvezza, il modo di incanalare la rabbia e sfogare le frustrazioni, ritrovare un equilibrio per troppo tempo perso, riottenere il controllo. Il BDSM con le sue dinamiche e i concetti, la sua mentalità è la salvezza di un uomo che si era perso. Naturalmente non manca la sensualità e l'erotismo di cui l'autrice è maestra, quando entra in scena il nostro sexy Sean viviamo un'escalation erotica incredibile. Sean è giovane, sfacciato e disinibito e inesorabilmente attratto da Max, dipendente da quei rari sorrisi e lievi tocchi. Un vero incantatore che è pronto a sperimentare un mondo a lui sconosciuto pur di conoscere e toccare l'oscuro e meditabondo Max. La caratterizzazione di Sean è forse quella che più mi ha stupita perché mostra un passato inaspettato e una personalità totalmente opposta all'idea che mi ero fatta di un semplice accondiscendente sub. Sean è forte e resiliente, l'unico che riesce inspiegabilmente a destabilizzare l'equilibrio di Max che potrebbe strapparlo dalla sua fortezza di autocontrollo e rimettere in moto il suo cuore, attraverso quella connessione unica, attraverso l'addestramento che fa superare limiti e paure, attraverso quella devozione e fiducia perfetta forse il Dom ha trovato non solo il suo perfetto sub, ma qualcosa di più grande e profondo, qualcosa che fa paura. Dissotterrato è una storia corposa e complessa che incolla il lettore alle pagine facendo provare emozioni intense, commozione ed empatia, fa vibrare di aspettativa sensuale ed erotismo elegante, tocca tanti temi importanti con rispetto e delicatezza, sonda la psicologia e le emozioni umane con maestria...

CONTINUA SUL NOSTRO BLOG. VENITE A TROVARCI
https://thereadingslove.blogspot.com/

[Peppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was really hot but I didn’t expect anything else from Kora.
But honestly I really enjoyed this book it was hot,kinky and flirty. Both MCs had a great connection! So I’m really interested in how things went on in the second book,I just hope their relationship goes further and Max stops denying his feelings for Sean.

[Annery · Rating 5 out of 5]

***4.75 Because if I gave it a 5 I'd feel disloyal to Scott & Tad ***

I'd been waiting about a year for Max & Sean's story. We were introduced to Max and subsequently Sean during the successive installments of the Upending Tad, A Journey of Erotic Discovery series and got a salivating slice of them in the Sideline Submission part so needless to say I was crazy eager to know what deliciousness Kora Knight had in store for us. However I must acknowledge that I have a Hate/Love/Hate relationship with Doms. Let me explain.

I love my subs, can totally understand their needs and desires and mentally understand that to be Happy a Sub needs a Dom to satisfy his/her needs but my rebellious mind wants to drop-kick Doms when they make Subs kneel, leash them, cage them, flog them etc. and my skin crawls at their satisfaction from another's subservience and surrender. They strike me as low self esteem megalomaniacs. So why do I read these D/s stories? Frankly I'm starting to suspect I'm a bit of a masochist.

This whole digression is to say that these BDSM stories have a high hurdle for me. The author needs to show/convince me of the rightness of the relationship, of the Dom's deep and utter care for his Sub, of the love underpinning every exchange. It doesn't have to be sexual/couple love but a caring on the part of Dom for the Sub beyond any gratification for himself.

I am thrilled to say that Kora has soared beyond all my expectations. She doesn't pick up Max & Sean's story where we last saw them in the Upending Tad, A Journey of Erotic Discovery series, specifically Afterglow, but rather she takes us back to the beginning, to Max's childhood and adolescence and the events that made him become the man Sean meets. This is a great decision. It allows those who haven't read the Scott & Tad series to jump in without missing anything (though they should totally remedy that ASAP) and for everyone to get the WHY of Max's current mind set: being a Dom but having no relationships outside of his dungeon, which are strictly professional. Yes he cares for the well being of his Subs/Clients but he allows no personal emotional involvement. His closest relationship is with Scott with whom he shares a brotherly bond. As an aside I must say that I choked up a bit when we first meet Scott, a boy who is light years away from the gorgeous man from the Upending Tad, A Journey of Erotic Discovery series.

Fortunately for Max along comes Sean. *sigh*

Sean who has is own story of a less than stellar childhood, which has warped his adult relationships but who's willing to put himself out there for what he wants, who's curious, daring and brave like a cat which coincidentally is a pet name Max uses for him. And like a cat Sean is making his way into Max's life on his own terms even though Max thinks he's the one laying down all the rules. Sean who's mere presence is causing cracks in Max's armor. Yes. I'm a big Sean fan and if Max is who will make him happy I'm crushing a bit on Max too. I already liked him for being such a stand up friend to Scott but now that I know where he's coming from and know that he does have the capacity to love deeply and wholeheartedly I can't wait for the walls to come crumbling down so that Max can finally allow himself to love and be loved in return. In brief to be HAPPY.

At the end of this installment we can't say that Max & Sean are in love, more like Sean is in-like and eager to explore his new found kinks and his attraction to Max and poor Max is lulled into believing that he's just enjoying himself with a Sub who's compatible with his dominant side. Such fools we are. LOL

Make no mistake. Max is truly a Dom who enjoys his kinks so be ready. Kora doesn't shy from the hard stuff and if you read Sideline Submission you'll know what I mean.

My only complaint is that I now have to wait until the end of November to get my grabby hands on Part 2 of this beauty.

***Warning for those who are very sensitive: child abuse and suicide are both subjects touched upon in this book but not dwelt on ad nauseam. ***

[Mirian]

DNF @ 41%
The premise of this is really good but I just couldn’t vibe with the writing style. Also Max’s personality kind of sucked.

[JustJen "Miss Conduct" · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 star review by The Blogger Girls.

Yes, this can be read on its own, but you would really miss out on the anticipation of sort of getting to know Max from the previous series. If you’ve already read that, then you are probably chomping at the bit to get Max’s story. I know I was! He is Scott’s broody and mysterious roommate and fellow dom-for-hire. He comes across as cold and a bit heartless, but I just knew that if Scott was such good friends with him, there had to be explanations or reasons for his behavior. I was right again!

This story has a very different feel to it from Scott and Tad right off the bat. It has a more serious feel as it shows us Max early in life and what happened to him, how he met Scott (whom I would never have recognized from the Scott we know today) and really takes the time to show us the ins and outs of the Max we see today. It isn’t until the middle of the book that things start to catch up to the intensity we felt with Scott and Tad. There is some overlap to things that happened in their books, which I was actually looking for to see from a different POV. I was a tiny bit disappointed we didn’t get more of that, but this is Max’s story after all.

We know Sean started seeing Max from before, but again, now we get all the juicy details and how exactly Sean started chipping through Max’s icy exterior. I loved Sean! He was totally clueless about the BDSM, but he was such a trooper taking the chances to experience what Max had to offer. He struggles a bit with only getting so much of Max yet wanting so much more, but who wouldn’t? And he’s been handling things pretty well, IMO. Their scenes together as Max introduces Sean to the various aspects, instruments and resulting pain and pleasure are right on par with Scott and Tad. It is difficult not to compare Max and Sean to them, but they set the bar pretty high, so it was basically inevitable. Suffice to say, I was not disappointed.

Those of you who prefer closure in your stories might want to wait for the next installment to be finished, because while these guys are still on track and on a somewhat clear path, things end with them still in the dom/client stage, even though it is pretty obvious that bubble is about ready to burst open. I’m sure it won’t be that easy though, and I can’t wait to see what Ms. Knight has in store for them before they (cough*Max*cough) give in.

This is a bit longer, but was very well written and had me turning pages quickly. It was another winner for me, as I enjoyed this Scott/Tad-esque tale that had a bit more story to it. Bravo, Ms. Knight!

[Viv · Rating 4 out of 5]

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you have not read Upending Tad, A Journey of Erotic Discovery, please do so before you read this book!

I really, really enjoyed this book. We, of course, met Sean and Max in the Upending Tad series, but this was a look into the beginning and development of their relationship.

The beginning 25% of the book broke my heart as we learned why Max can be such a cold bastard. Then we meet Sean and you can't help but love him. He is so sweet. Then Kora brings the kink and it is HOT! Max is definitely one kinky bastard. I'm hoping that in the next book, we'll see some scenes from Tad and Scott's books from Sean and Max's POVs. I cannot wait for November!

[Ashton Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I devoured this in one sitting! Knight never fails to suck you in and write both an emotional and steamy af story.

I’m so glad this didn’t end on a cliffhanger. It still intrigued me enough to want to continue on to book 2, since these two still have a lot of emotional obstacles to overcome before they obtain their HEA!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max's perfect sub.

Dungeon Black is more hardcore than Upending Tad, harder impact play, more kink, a little more everything. It's excellent.

Tags: Suicide (Not an MC), Rape, Child Abuse, S/m, Floggers, Spanking, Gags, Blindfolds, Bondage, Plugs (Various), Kitty Play, Cage -- actual human sized cage, Drinking Spend, Humiliation, Subjugation. 4.5/5

[Daniela Tirrito (Tivvys_books_world) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ presto la recensione sul blog