Taming Tristan

Friends of Friends #2

by Leighton Greene

Tristan:
I'm a trouble-maker.
Everyone at the club knows I don't kneel on command.
So what?

I’ve never met a man who’s worthy of my full surrender. I’m bored of all the wannabes who think they can expect perfect obedience without proving themselves first.

But if I don’t play nice, I’m gonna get banned from the scene.

And that’s when I meet Seth, the one guy who might have a chance at bringing me to my knees.

Seth:
I'm not interested in a relationship. I like it hard, fast, uncomplicated.

But then a Hollywood producer and his plaything bet me I can’t tame a notorious trouble-maker by Valentine’s Day.

I can’t refuse—not when it comes with the promise of big money when I win. I’ll be able to pay off my family's debts.

Tristan Taylor is an enticing gamble. Whip-smart, big blue eyes, cheeky as they come. I like a challenge. I'll bring out Tristan's primal needs.

I’ll make him beg. I’ll make him obey. I’ll make him kneel…

But it'll take more than one night to train Tristan, and each session leaves me wanting something more.

Something I wasn't prepared to gamble on.

Taming Tristan was meant to be a bet. I never thought I’d wager my heart.

***

Taming Tristan is a standalone romance novel with humor, more than a dash of angst, and Rock-Meets-Hard-Place kinky fun. HFN/HEA guaranteed, and no cliffhangers.

MM Holiday Romance

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

262 pages, ebook

First published February 9, 2020

About the author

Leighton Greene has been writing stories since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Her first book was a choose-your-own-adventure style book about deciding what to eat for breakfast. It didn't shake the New York Times bestseller list, but she still has a copy of it.

After spending some time writing in academia, fanfiction and corporate reporting, Leighton decided she should probably do what she actually wanted to do, which was to write commercial fiction. So she did. She writes gay romance and, when the mood strikes, erotica as L.J. Greene.

Leighton lives with her partner and her cockatiel on the east coast of Australia.

(Source: Amazon.com)

Reviews

[Delusional Dawn [semi-hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

ew. wtf??? 💀 dnf at 50%. never touching this book EVER AGAIN! sorry to my pooks jenny. you told me this was good, and that i HAD to read it because you had a crush on both of them, and i tried... BUT NEVER AGAIN.

disgusting cover & disgusting book 💀

the definition of this book: hot pillows, melted icecream, crying children, hospitals, injections, ex-boyfriends who cheated on me, belly from tsitp, the king of hybern, taryn duarte and bad weather. The list goes on.

I have nothing against the author, but I'm never picking another one of her books up EVER AGAIN. I think I've found the level beyond boredom.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth Jackson is a good Dom and a good man in general. He makes no secret of the fact that he likes his hook-up's to be uncomplicated. Then he's offered a bet with an amount of money that will change the life for the people that he loves more than anyone in the world... his sister and their invalid father. His sister is taking care of their father and trying to figure out how to continue her college education while keeping the "wolf from the door". The bank is threating to foreclose on the house and her tuition is coming up. All Seth has to do to win the bet is make Tristan Taylor knell for him, in public, at their club, by Valentine's Day. His Dad and his sister would be safe from the pending foreclosure....and his sister could still have enough left to pay for her college.

Seth is a Dom that has never wanted any sub to ever knell for him that didn't want to, and he totally hates this whole idea as well as the people that instigated the bet... but how could he refuse?

I really liked the character of Seth. Seth is used to getting his way. Men get on their knees for him all the time...but Tristan? This is an entirely new challenge. Tristan is good-natured, little bit of troublemaker with a cheeky grin, and a big heart...the kind of brat that drives men, especially Doms, crazy, and sometimes not in a good way. He's played a lot at the club with a lot of different Doms, but he's never played with a Dom that practices Primal play before. He's totally in and intrigued by the entire idea.

With each session, Seth finds himself more and more entranced by what lies under Tristan's snarky exterior...but Tristan's been burned before, and his trust isn't easily earned. If Tristan finds out about the bet, it'll only prove his worst fears about all Doms will be true. Seth has so quickly fallen for the bratty, little cutie that he's tempted so many times to just tell him about the bet...and he's even tried to turn the bet down...but no luck with either of these options. The whole question boils down to if Seth can keep Tristan's love and keep the bet a secret...or will gambling with Tristan's heart destroy any chance of their new love to last? The ending is nothing but heartwarmingly spectacular.

[M.I.A · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

It's really me and not the book. I need something a bit more involved at the moment.
Taming Tristan is well written, interesting characters and Greene does an excellent job with the kink element but it's all a little too predictable and simple for my current mood.

The setting is the same as the Rough Love series and Ben and Xander make a quick little appearance which was nice.

Tristan is a difficult sub and the BDSM community is not too pleased with him. Especially the Dom's that have certain expectation of obedience and submissive behavior. Tristan bites back, often, he refuses to hand over his power to a Dom that hasn't earned his respect.

Seth has had an eye on the feisty Tristan and while he is biding his time for his approach he get's involved in not so admirable plot. Money in exchange for making Tristan submit. Money he can't resist.

The kink in play here is quite interesting, primal play. It's pretty mild compared to the Rough Love series, in my opinion.

This entire story is surprisingly quite light & low angst. I would go as far as to say this a feel-good, straight forward kinky story.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first and third books in this series, but I put off reading this one because I didn’t care for Tristan in those books. I’m glad I finally broke down and read it because I really enjoyed it. I knew what was going to happen when Tristan found out about the bet but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment. It’s funny how much I have loved Leighton Greene’s books except for the mob ones. Maybe I’ll give them another try sometime.

[Carol (§CoverLoverGirl§) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tristan Taylor is the bad boy Sub at Velvet Kink Club. He’s been threatened with being ‘blackballed’ by the Doms because he is too sassy, not submissive enough, not kneeling for them., being disrespectful to them, even outside of the Dom/Sub scenes.

Two of the top members of Velvet Kink, Bart a Hollywood Producer and Miles a Male Model, a Dom/sub couple, feel insulted by his refusals. They devise a plan to show Tristan his place and humiliate him in front of all the members on Valentine Night.

Seth Jackson is considered one of the best Doms at Velvet Kink but he hasn’t had a Sub for a good while. Recently he has been visiting Velvet just to sit and watch. One guy has been catching his attention over the past few weeks. The young guy has noticed and has been eyeing Seth also but neither make a move towards each other. Seth has too many family problems on his mind to devote attention to a Sub at this time. The Bank is threatening foreclosure on his families home. Medical bills for his father are crippling him and his sister Kaya.

However, others have been noticing and hatch a plan.

Bart and Miles have noticed Seth’s interest in their target, Tristan Taylor. They make Seth an offer he cannot refuse, betting 100,000$ if he can train Tristan and have him kneel before him at the club on Valentines Night. Initially Seth refuses and walks off.
But when his sister calls saying the bank is about to foreclose he has to accept.

Over the following weeks Seth and Tristan have developed a relationship where Tristan starts to learn about Seth’s Kink speciality, Primal. It is so intense and they become very intimate in the Primal Scenes.

Everything is going smoothly, but then Seth changes his mind about the bet. He doesn’t want Tristan to be humiliated and as a respected Dom he does not like the way Tristan is being treated as a sub by other Doms.

Thwarting the plans of Bart and Miles, doesn’t come cheap and the consequences are devastating for Seth.


****************

This is the only Book I’ve read in this series. I’ve seen comments that Tristan has featured in previous books in the series and is not regarded as a very likeable character.

I didn’t get that vibe from him at all. He was fighting for his rights and respect in this book anyway. I liked their story but realised early on what was bound to happen but it didn’t spoil my reading of it.

I’ll try to get to the earlier books in the series but my TBR shelf is overloaded at the moment.

[Szidi ☼ · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the first and third book, I thougt it's time for Tristan too! And I'm so happy, because this book is the best from the series! I loved all three books, but somehow it's deeper and better then the other two.

Tristan is a brat, and it's not just written words on the pages, Tristan is really, really a brat, and I loved it so much! Everytime I read a BDSM book and there is a character who supposed to be a brat, it's anything but! But not this time, because Leighton Greene writes kink like no one else! It's real and the emotions are coming through.

Seth was an interesting character and this Primal kink is new to me, but you know... google is my friend, so ;)

I loved the BDSM scenes, loved when Tristan told Seth 'make me' all the time, and Seth made him. Oh god, how he made him behave and kneel too, ahh. Kneeling scenes can be so powerful if well written, and it was just that. Powerful!

Loved, loved it!

[Suzanne Irving · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The characters, relationships and story are all interesting and well written. It really goes to show how pretentious some books about kink are and how differently people can define kink for themselves and how they relate it to their lives. Doms are not all millionaires and subs are not all virgins who are clumsy. One of the reasons why I like m/m books is that a heterosexual couple could never have the kink relationship that Seth and Tristan do and that opens up new ideas for books. I don’t like reading the same story written over and over by different authors. I like reading stories that push the boundaries and this one does.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[peach]

DNF @ 40% I was pretty uncomfortable with the setup to begin with, with Tristan not being aware of the bet and Seth not even considering the option of telling him. It felt especially hypocritical since Seth had previously in the book been annoyed at being involved in two other characters' play/power games without him consenting to it, but then he turns around and does the same thing to Tristan. I held out for a bit longer since the book had brat taming and primal play but I felt underwhelmed enough by those scenes that I didn't feel that it was worth it to keep reading.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent the whole time reading this hating the plot. Future conflict based on a dubious, ill-advised, stupid bet? Thanks, but we had enough of that from films in the 90s. Hate. It. And yet, I adored Tristan and Seth, so I guess it balanced out in the end. (obvs, my hatred of this trope/plot thing is totally personal. it was done well enough, it's just not my thing.)

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love love loved Tristan and Seth!!! I cannot tell you how awesome it was to see a brat be encouraged in their bratty behavior. Brats have usually been my favorite characters in books, so it was refreshing to see a snapshot of the Primal kink dynamic which showcases those bratty, fight back some tendencies as a good thing and not something that necessarily needs to be corrected.

This book is my first encounter with the Primal kink, so of course it inspired my kinky curiosity, because I want to know all the things! Add in the secret bet trope and fallout drama and it makes for a compelling read. I highly recommend. 4.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Marjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wel wat saai en eentonig

[Kestrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if I hadn't properly read the blurb for this story (it was a little while ago I downloaded it) or if I just decided 'sod it' and got it despite it, but when I opened the book I was a little shocked to find it was about a dom/sub relationship and kinks associated with that. It's not really my thing particularly, so I debated if I really wanted to read it but figured I'd give it a bash. Which just proved to me that it's still not really my thing, and as such, I have tried to rate my review whilst not really taking that aspect of it into account as it's not really fair of me to judge it.

The 3.5 stars is for the writing which I thought was pretty good, I was certainly intrigued and compelled enough by it to read all the way through, and actually could have given it 4 stars I think based on that. This story loses half a star for the 'romance', I just didn't really feel it. I certainly believed Seth and Tris are attracted to each other, their on-page chemistry is palpable and they're obviously very compatible with each other in their wants and desires.

I just didn't see any real progression from that base-line chemistry to Big-L Love, as Tris put it. I'm not saying I didn't think it could happen, just that it didn't believably happen within the story timeline as it's presented. As such the ending (after the obvious culmination of the bet) kind of fell a bit flat for me. The trust and betrayal is absolutely there. But the love to guide any resolution... not so much.

Having said all that, I enjoyed it well enough, though I won't be reading any others in the series or by this author. If you are into the BDSM scene stories and other associations I do think you should maybe give this a shot. I think the writing is worth that.

[Tara Ramey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars is generous.

Written in dual first person POV. Decent amount of M/m sexy times and a little humor. The biggest problem was the “submissive” Tristan and the bet itself.

From the beginning, Tristan is unlikable. He claims that he is a submissive but doesn’t seem to possess submissive traits or enjoy submissive tasks/protocol or the standard impact play. I wanted to know why he wanted a D/s play session or relationship when it didn’t seem to appeal to him and he didn’t really have any “likes”. It takes most of the book before we find out about his previous relationship and even then it doesn’t excuse his behavior. He mentions numerous times that respect is earned and he doesn’t understand why Doms are immediately treated with respect and subs are not. The problem with his statement is that he treats all Doms that approach him with a snarky attitude and general rudeness. He may call it his “bratty” side but it’s not cute, and at times he’s just mean.

As soon as the bet comes into play you know what the big fight will be about towards the end, and you have a fairly good idea of how their story will progress. There were no surprises. The bet itself was mean-spirited and had little to do with Taming Tristan and more to do with humiliating him.

For the most part, the writing was fine but at 50% I was bored and still didn’t like Tristan and debated about finishing. By then end, I was glad that I borrowed the book from KU instead of purchasing it.

Can be read as a standalone (in fact, I skipped book 1 and was just fine) and does end with a HFN.

[Carlos Mock · Rating 1 out of 5]

Taming Tristan (Kindle Edition) by Leighton Greene

Don't bother with this book. It's a stand-alone book - the second in the series, but I would not read anything written by this author.

In the world of Gay S & M, we're introduced a Seth Jackson, a "DOM" or sadistic sexual partner, and Tristan Taylor, a "SUB" or masochistic partner.

Tristan has a bad reputation at the Velvet Night of this casual bar - apparently, he can't partner with anyone in the DOM category and is about to be banned from the scene.

Seth Jackson has a big money problem - he takes care of his disabled father and his sister Kaya - so when the extremely rich Bartholomew Bennett offers Seth $100k to tame Tristan, Seth unwillingly agrees.

What follows is a very poor plot - not redeemed by the sex scenes. Characters are as flat as the page and are accompanied by multiple secondary characters that add nothing to the nonexistent plot.

The book is narrated from the first-person point of view of both Tristan and Seth.

I got it as a "freebie" but even at that price, I don't think it's worth bothering to read this book.

[Mandy (MP Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seth Jackson takes a bet to tame Tristan Taylor by Valentine’s Day so he can clear his family’s debts. But Tristan — sharp, chaotic, and unexpectedly vulnerable — proves far more captivating than Seth ever planned. As real feelings grow, the secret bet threatens to destroy the fragile trust forming between them.

This romance is a delicious blend of heat, heart, and high stakes. Seth and Tristan spark off each other from the very first moment — all sharp edges, teasing clashes, and an undeniable pull that only grows stronger. What begins as a reckless bet quickly turns into something far more meaningful, and watching Seth fall for the very man he was supposed to “tame” is half the fun. The tension isn’t just emotional; the secret hanging over Seth’s head adds a steady thrum of danger to their growing connection. Tristan’s vulnerability and hard‑won trust make every step toward intimacy feel earned, and every risk feel sharper. A fast, flirty, and surprisingly heartfelt read about love sneaking in where you least expect it — and the gamble of choosing honesty over fear. This was an MM story with mature content and a BDSM-like D/s dynamic.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like how much research this author seems to do, I never feel like they have jumped on the BDSM bandwagon like so many authors seem to have done. The best thing is the respect that the lifestyle is treated with and that the characters clearly are who they are, they aren't putting on a costume.

I also really like that the subs were pointing out that the doms were not correctly policing themselves and that the subs stood up for each other. Tristan and Seth are both great although there was so much going on in this book that I never quite felt their connection. There were just too many distractions for the relationship to be the main focus. The other thing that made this a little difficult was all the other characters who were in the story. Although this can be read as a standalone I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the other books first. I am going to get back to reading the other books.

[Jean Malherbe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even for someone like myself who hates the concept of bdsm and is a bit ignorant, I didn't buy the whole "primal" thing. All scenes (not at all sexy) just come across as two teenagers having a physical disagreement in high school. The whole wrestling scene seemed childish and stupid. I'm pretty sure this is a weak example of primal play. The book itself is well edited with only a few typos that I could see (one star for that). The plot, as a whole is extremely weak. Up to the 50% mark, I found the story intriguing but then the author began to flounder and obviously had no clue where to go from there and the whole thing just fell apart. The big break up and groveling toward the end, resulting in a complete role reversal (Dom kneeling outside the club for days/weeks on end to make some kind of a point) was not sympathy/empathy inducing, but plain embarrassing!

I won't recommend this book or this author. In fact, I cleared my Kindle of all books by this author.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the exploration of a relatively new kink. Primal kink was interesting. Seems to be like a BDSM version of Turkish oil wresting (literally lol). I liked Tristan and Seth, the latter more so than the former. What I absolutely loathed about this book is the BDSM club featured. No only is everyone all up in each other's business, but the members of the club decide to blackball Tristan because his kinks don't match up with any of the Doms, and because he is too bratty? Wtf? That would never happen in a legitimate s&m club. Adding to that is the whole trashiness of Bart and Miles making a bet with Seth to make Tristan kneel in front of the whole club. What kind of Mean Girls bullshit is that?

+3 stars for some good writing, for Seth and his dedication to his craft kink, and the kink itself.

[Macrochiroptera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went in blind and I had no idea this was set in the same universe of Rough Love, so when Ben and Xander made an appearance it reminded me of how much I loved them and how much work had been going into that amazing series. I missed them!

Regarding this novel specifically, I enjoyed the bet/guilt theme of it much more than the rest. Primal is a hard kink to describe, I think, especially because in this case I did not feel like there was much tension between Tristan and Seth. I really enjoyed Seth, and I think in a longer novel this would have been an amazing angsty story, but it almost felt insta-love. Tristan was also presented as this menace, but he was kind of tame already and it felt more like he was not very aware of kinks and has not done much research than "he is the sub no one can tame".
Still, it was a fun angsty read and I'll take any small peak of Xander and Ben I can.

[Shannon]

Fantastic story

4.5☆
Tristan and Seth are really attracted to each other but when they actually begin learning about each other, they both start with hidden intentions. It does not take long for a deeper connection to grow but always, in the back of their minds, is their secret.
Tristan and Seth are both likeable characters and the storyline is intriguing. Many secondary characters add to the story, some good and some are really nasty.
This was a well written, enjoyable story, with lots of drama, emotional moments, intense BDSM sexy times, genuine love, and a satisfying HEA.
This book was much better than the first one which needed a lot of editing. I would recommend this book.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Recommendation: This one is a lot more intense than  Winter Wonders , but it was a good story even if it wasn't what I was looking for at the time. I'd say you probably want to be at least somewhat interested in kink/BDSM/Dom/sub relationships or be open minded. I liked that Greene continued to educate as she entertained, but you'd have to look to someone else to tell you whether or not what she wrote/included is accurate.

My Response: If Winter Wonder was an introduction to BDSM/kinky mm romance, this one directly to advanced. Not only are we thrown into the deep end of the LA kink scene, but we're thrown into what I'm gathering is a pretty niche group, primal, within the scene.

This being said I felt Greene did a thorough job of further educating her readers about the various aspects of D/s play and relationships. I mean I feel more educated even if I did have to Google (incognito of course) various things.

Continue reading on my book blog at geoffwhaley.com.

[Fedora · Rating 4 out of 5]

TAMING TRISTAN is the second in Leighton Greene's Friends of Friends series. Construction worker and Dom Seth Jackson is under some financial constraints thanks to his family's mounting medical debts and is convinced to take a shady bet at the kink club he frequents. Aspiring photographer Tristan Taylor is a sassy sub who catches Seth's eye.

Leighton Greene's story is very readable despite the fact that there are essentially flashing red lights around this ill-advised wager. Tristan and Seth are appealing characters, and I was eager to see them find a way toward a happy future.

[Queen Plamo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was this days old when I found out there is a Primal kink. I also was this days old when I found out it is not my piece of cake.
However, I really enjoyed the book! Tristan had this bossy, sassy personality and proved that being a sub doesn't mean you are spineless, mindless creature. I loved how he demanded that his submission must be earned and not just given away.
About Seth, he had his own problems, sure, but what I blame him for was that he could tell about the bet. It was a win-win for both of them anyway.
Also, I really felt bad about Tristan during one of their sessions, that really left me sad for a while.
So, summing it up: a good book, a good plot and a different kink I learned about (yay!!).

[J.L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface -- standard romance with bonus kinky sex. However, this book features excellent bonus themes on how nontraditional communities have to police themselves and still occasionally run into problems. I definitely didn't expect how heart-wrenching the finale would be, but I thoroughly enjoyed how Tristan and Seth get their happily ever after together.

*Bonus points for Xander being freaking amazing.

[Philip Cowsill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot tell what drew me to this novel as it is a genre I do not often read. However, I have to say I enjoyed the story.

Although it is about a Dom/sub relationship the focus was more on the two main characters as men rather than as a sexual players. Seth the Dom and Tristan the sub were both well fleshed out characters and we learned a lot about their lives away from the "scene."

I would look forward to read other stories written by Leighton Greene.

[Kirstine Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the resolution of this, except for one thing: As shitty as the bet was, and as wrong as it was for Seth to agree to it in the first place, I wish someone had pointed out that the rich studio exec took advantage of Seth as well as Tris. Granted, they didn't know *how* desperate the situation was with the family's finances, but they knew he was a blue collar worker from the way he looked and dressed. Bastards.

[Laks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The author has tried a slightly different approach to BDSM and I liked the exposure to certain issues in the community. More than the high policies to be maintained by subs and doms, what matters is what they feel and how they relate to each other.

I liked Tristan, his frustrations and the changes Seth around. The 'Primal ' aspect is new to me and wanted a bit more from the scenes . Its a good romance, set around a BDSM club and its different members.

[Cynthia Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seth agrees to a bet that he can tame a Sub named Tristan. He really doesn't want to do it but he needs the money to help his family.Tristan thinks all Doms are the same into themselves. They meet and things go from causal to serious. Tristan wants out of the bet but the other party won't let him. I really enjoyed this book.

[Twocuphabit · Rating 4 out of 5]

You just don't see primal!

First off, if you're like me and you hate holiday romances, just ignore that part of the title. The holiday really isn't a big part of the storytelling. Secondly, when have you even heard about a primal romance? I was so excited to see this! I think Ms. Greene has written a real winner here. Jump on and enjoy the ride!

[Jeanine Beaulieu St Pierre · Rating 5 out of 5]

not a brat

Loved this book I think it’s the first I read and I found it wonderful,,now this book is about a boundary being crossed between two consenting adult but only one knows the truth but when it backfired on them they have to dig out about where they want to go in the future or throw away once in a lifetime of love