Kitchen Sink Dom

Hell's Bedroom #1

by Tanya Chris

Private Investigator Harrison Fisher's new case isn't going the way he'd hoped. Wearing a collar, pretending he's submissive, searching for a Dom who can get him into Hell's Bedroom, the elite BDSM club where a seventeen-year-old boy has gone missing-his first time working undercover is really stretching his boundaries. He's always wondered if BDSM might be for him, but this wasn't how he intended to find out. And how can he be honest about what he wants sexually when he can't be honest about anything else?


When Cash meets the handsome man brimming with nervous energy, he feels like he's struck gold. Cash isn't the most dominant of tops, but he's got a wide repertoire of skills, and he'd be happy to practice every single one of them on Harry, the sub who's so new to the scene he doesn't even know his own kinks. But the closer he gets to Harry, the more obvious it becomes that Harry isn't who he claims to be.

As Harrison flirts with both BDSM and Cash, one missing person turns into two. Someone at Hell's Bedroom is abducting vulnerable subs, and it's going to take more than just Harrison to bring them home. It's going to take a whole kinky village.

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

283 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2021

About the author

Tanya writes in a variety of romantic and erotic genres, being an avid follower of many of these genres herself. Some of her favorites are M/M romance, MFM threesomes, and BDSM with male submissives.

Tanya lives in New England with her boyfriend and her cat and has participated in many of the activities about which she writes, but not all of them. It's left to the reader to decide which are which.

Reviews

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, it wasn't anything like us been expecting and it was all the better for that.

When I started reading it, I thought it'd be your typical kink exploration and sexual awakening but no, it's so much more.

It throws all of the above in with a dysfunctional family dynamic between Harrison and his older sister Taylor which still manages to be based in support for each other.

Then it adds in an element of suspense with subs going missing and potential human trafficking.

And finally, it brings together an eclectic bunch of people all working together to try and find 17-year-old Arlo.

I loved how everything entwined without ever becoming too overly complicated or dramatic.

Tanya obviously knows her kink and she knows how to play around with the intimacy of finding a perfectly matched pair.

Watching Cash and Harrison navigate their way to happiness, via grumpy encounters and dawning awareness is a joy.

I can't wait for the other two books in the series!

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This was my second Tanya Chris, and even though the books are completely different (the other was accidental time travel to the Salem witch trials), my issues with them are exactly the same.

The writing, the plot, the characters are all engaging. But both of them had plots that were complex enough that you really need to go the extra mile to make them realistic, and she just doesn't. The inconsistencies are all pretty small and seem like they wouldn't take much effort to fix, but that just makes it even more frustrating. I had no problem suspending my disbelief in between, but every time something tiny and unnecessary knocked me out of it, it got more and more annoying. It doesn't even happen that often, but... it didn't have to happen AT ALL. Grr.

The other similarity: In both books, I could only feel The Feels from one of the MCs. In the last book, I blamed it on the single POV, but this one's dual POV and I still couldn't feel the emotional connection from the investigator character.

The physical chemistry is there, and if you're looking for a book with a service top, that part was pretty good.

It was tempting to continue with Book 2 -- the investigation and the characters are all tied together in a larger story -- and I probably would have at least sampled it if these were still on KU, but there are some darker aspects to the investigation that I wasn't expecting and once I get to a certain point I know I'm going to have to finish just to get closure on those aspects, and I don't trust that it's not going to have the same exact issues. Apparently I would put myself through that for "free" but not for $4.99??! Hmmm....

EDIT: Oh hell, it looks like Book 2 and 3 *are* on KU after all. I am genuinely torn about this for some reason! Ok, no, I liked the gentle BDSM with the service top character and the newbie to the scene and I'm always a fan of the interconnected series based around a BDSM club, so I'm just going to go find something else like that. Thanks for listening :)

[AussieMum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really enjoyable. I loved Cash. He was always upbeat, even when others were trying to belittle him and bring him down, and he always tried his best to be the best service top for his partner. Every time a kink didn’t work with Harrison he got back on the horse and tried something new. I liked being inside his head when he was figuring stuff out.

Harrison was the grumpy PI and reluctant “non-sub” who was judgy and kink-shamed but I still loved him too. He felt real. He wasn’t a PC cookie cutter character, he kept it interesting and he knew he needed to try harder to be more accepting. I wish these two had gotten more page time together developing their romance but there’s a lot of plot and characters on the periphery so I feel like the relationship did suffer a little because of it.

The human trafficking element was easy to follow and is resolved over the course of the three books, so don’t expect a full resolution here. The kinky vigilantes did seem a little Scooby Doo but it all had a certain charm to it.

Separately, I enjoyed all the secondary characters. I’m not really sure if I’m comfortable with the pairings for the next two books. Not sure if I’ll continue the series.

This wasn’t perfect but my enjoyment value was high.

[X]

Q: who’s thinking this, me or the love interest:

“Hmm something about this seems off, seems fishy, seems red flag-adjacent.”

A: twist, it’s both of us! Unlike the love interest, I’m listening to my instincts… DNF @ 11%.

[Sebby · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just alright but I'm definitely not invested enough to keep going with the series but also Harrison needed a major attitude adjustment and it was a shame to never see him get one 🤷

[Jinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harrison was way too judgmental to be likeable. He was the equivalent of the pot calling the kettle black and the kettle responding with I'm not black I'm onyx.





Say what now?!?

How can someone who likes to have his testicles electrocuted to the point of climax kink shame anyone? People like what they like and he went into their private spaces and looked down on them. Any stars that I awarded this book were all on behalf of Cash whose patience for Harrison is the only reason I finished this book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I own, have read, and thoroughly enjoyed everything that I have encountered written by Tanya Chris...so I wasn't surprised that I liked this one too. I believe that Cash and Harrison may be my favorite Tanya Chris couple...but I still have 2 more books in the series to go. Both characters are absolutely lovable, but Cash stole my heart. There's just something about him. I wanted things to work out between him and Harrison. Of course, there's plenty of "steamy fun" between these two, as well as some kink thrown in.

Hell's Bedroom is a BDSM club. Isn't that a catchy name? However, that's not all this first book in the series is about. Harrison has a missing person to locate.... a missing person that turns into much more. So, now we have a steamy romance and a solid mystery. What starts out as Harrison and his client, then someone recruited to help, that turns into someone he can be attracted to and then turns into someone else to help. and then another someone after that until now we have the whole "Scooby-Doo Gang" along with Cash's cat, "Mr. Moo" and "Greta", that Cash thinks is a hamster that lives in the wall, that is actually a rat that Cash feeds cheese to...but you can't convince Cash that she's not a hamster.

The case these characters are working on is far from being anything to be taken lighthearted, but we get a lot of terrific characters that I hope we see more of in future books in this series. As the first book in a new series, this author has certainly set a high expectation for whatever she plans to give us next, and I can't wait to meet the next "Hell's Bedroom" couple.

[Relly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread 2025

Harrison is still hard to like at the start but once he comes clean and they are together he is all in, and stands by his man. Then I like him.

Very good

4.25 Stars

I was so impressed with this one. Both Cash and Harrison were so different from other characters I've read in the BDSM world, I've never come across characters with their kinks and it was refreshing.

Cash is a service top, so he basically can be whatever his partner needs him to be and if his partner is enjoying himself he gets off on it too. He's basically a really nice guy who is left behind alot because the subs need someone who is all authoritarian, yet that is not Cash.

Harrison is a masochist who while he likes the pain doesn't like or understand the whole submitting to someone else.This makes him a perfect match for Cash as they both are non typical in their kinks. I think part of me actually understood Harrison and his kink. He was a hard character to like at the start but he definitely grew on me. The only part that annoyed me with him was the fact that he kink shamed people, even after spending time with them and in the community. He did learn from this once Cash let it be known he wasn;t happy with his attitude.

I liked the set up here of the subs disappearing, it was shrewd, the way the kidnappers used the subs greatest desire to shackle them into a life very different from the one they had imagined getting, I really want to know more about what was going on and want to know who is responsible. I'm hoping we get more in the next book

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! I really love me some kink/BDSM and I haven't ever read a book with quite this dynamic with a "service top" not-quite-a-Dom who gets his kicks from giving his sub whatever they want and not so much from the power itself, and a masochist who isn't interested in the submissive aspects of a traditional BDSM relationship. I thought the build between them worked well--it was a bit choppy and frustrating at times but that made sense given the nature of the undercover case and generally I appreciated how all of that played out. Lots of interesting background characters as well, and a case that isn't really solved by the end of the book and I'm gathering it'll extend throughout the series. Definitely interested enough to continue reading.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Totally recommend.

“Harrison was the worst sub ever.” So who better to Dom him than not-a-dom service-top Cash? The characters are all fantastic and brought to life with their flaws, worries, compassion, and strengths. The storyline is fantastically entertaining as a PI takes a case that becomes personal and turns his life upside down.
I’m excited to continue the series with Brixby’s story next, and hope to get further snippets of Cash and Harrison in this lovely world created

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author and this is another reason why when she has a new story, I set aside everything else to read hers. This story is different than what I expected. Harrison is a PI who just can’t turn away a kid needing his help. There is a supposedly missing kid and his friend is afraid what might have happened to him. Harrison has had previous issues with the BDSM lifestyle and is reluctant to get too involved but to find the missing Arlo he has to go to the Hell’s Bedroom. While there he gets sort of involved with a sort of Dom, Cash. This turns into being a little funny since Harrison is not really a stereotypical sub and Cash is not a stereotypical Dom. There is a lot of emotion in this story. Between Harrison’s back story, his sister’s story, Cash’s background and a number of other characters who I just want to find out more about. The story moves right along and was impossible for me to set down. This is the first in the series and I am having a hard time waiting for the next.

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book, but it just didn't work for me. I didn't like Harrison and I could not understand why sweet, understanding Cash kept giving him more and more chances. Harrison was cold and demanding with Cash, insisting that he take him to the BDSM club, even though Cash knew that Harrison was lying to him about why he wanted to go there. Even once Harrison confessed to Cash why he was interested in the club, I felt no chemistry between Cash and Harrison. I also didn't like most of the secondary characters, so I have no plans to read the other two books in this series.

[Walford · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I'm so grateful to Tanya Chris for consistently (and frequently!) delivering.
The suspense/mystery plot feels a bit perfunctory, an engine to move the story along, but the romance is very satisfying and the sex scenes fun & h0t.
Oh, and by the way, where can I sign up for the next available service dom?

[Ivy]

DNF @62%

There was no chemistry between the MCs. I kept going because the dynamic had a lot of potential, but Harrison’s attitude really killed any interest in seeing where this went.

The word choice was also off putting. It seemed like the author kept throwing in fancy words to make the story seem more serious or professional, but it didn’t match the tone at all. Felt juvenile, almost.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nayeli - per RFS
.
Cash e Harrison si incastrano magicamente, pur essendo entrambi lontani dagli stereotipi dei ruoli nel BDSM.

Cash è un dom “di riserva”, una sorta di assistente, il che significa che prova piacere nel servire più che nel provocare dolore o nell’umiliare, e che trae il suo godimento da quello del partner su cui sta esercitando una pratica o utilizzando un toy. È molto esperto, conosce ogni tipo di kink e tortura, ma adora esercitarli per provocare piacere, assicurando un sacco di attenzione, gentilezza e aftercare. Purtroppo spesso non è ciò che cercano i sottomessi da un “vero” Dom.

Harrison, che aveva lasciato il BDSM molti anni prima dopo una brutta esperienza, è un sub che odia l’umiliazione, la schiavitù e in generale cedere il potere. Non riesce davvero a seguire le regole per essere un buon sottomesso, ma grazie alla pazienza e alla dedizione di Cash riuscirà a esplorare tutte le sfumature del BDSM e trovare i kink che fanno per lui.

Coinvolto in un incarico investigativo che coinvolge un club BDSM, Harrison deve vestire di nuovo i panni di un sub e non gli è possibile rinunciare nonostante la frustrazione dei tentativi non andati a buon fine. Questo lo costringe a sperimentare, a passare molto tempo con Cash cercando strumenti, giochi o perversioni di suo gradimento, ed entrando sempre più nel mondo che aveva lasciato prima ancora di conoscere bene se stesso. Il modo in cui i due uomini affinano l’esplorazione dei gusti e dei limiti di loro gradimento è molto piacevole, erotico e sperimentale, così come la ricerca dei ruoli in cui si trovano a proprio agio l’uno con l’altro: avendo caratteristiche lontane dagli standard, devono affrontare le proprie insicurezze e la sensazione di essere inadeguati, prima di potersi fidare del tutto e mettersi a nudo di fronte all’altro.

Qualunque bugia dovesse dire a Cash, era grato che chiamarlo “Signore” non sarebbe stata una di quelle. Perché quella gli era sembrata la bugia più grande di tutte. «Oppure potremmo fare un secondo giro.» Cash passò una mano sul suo petto ancora nudo, provocando un’altra scarica di sensazioni. Cash era completamente vestito, cosa che Harrison decise essere un’altra cosa che non gli piaceva di tutta quella faccenda della dominazione e della sottomissione. Perché era l’unico in mutande?

Tutta la vicenda è arricchita da una bella traccia d’azione che si fa sempre più coinvolgente, e che al contempo scatena una profonda riflessione.

Troppo nuovo nell’ambiente, sulla difensiva a causa del trauma che un cattivo Dom ha lasciato su di lui, e nella faticosa maschera che deve indossare sotto copertura per nascondere l’indagine, Harrison si mostra talvolta piuttosto arrogante nello sbeffeggiare le perversioni che non riesce a capire. Di un paio di queste sarà a sua volta destinatario e apprezzerà l’effetto che hanno su di lui, mentre per altre manterrà un atteggiamento giudicante che provocherà delle riflessioni anche nel lettore, nel tentativo di definire una linea tra giusto e sbagliato, tra atteggiamenti irresponsabili (o perfino psicologicamente malati) e altri che esprimono se stessi. Spesso questa linea di confine è situata sull’SSC (Sano Sicuro e Consensuale), ma come possiamo considerare il caso in cui l’abuso è evidente ma la vittima pare consenziente? Si trova forse in uno stato di sottomissione psicologica, di manipolazione emotiva o mentale, di sindrome di Stoccolma o magari in uno stato patologico di dipendenza affettiva? Il germe di un giudizio potenzialmente discriminatorio che in un mondo BDSM, dove il mantra è che ognuno deve essere libero di esprimere liberamente le proprie stranezze senza timore di essere giudicato, va a colpire senza volere anche tutte le forme sane del lifestyle.

Troviamo un po’ di violenza finale, entrando nel vivo dell’esperienza vissuta da una vittima del traffico di esseri umani: personaggio interessante che speriamo sia il protagonista di un prossimo libro.

«Nessuno ti darà a Sebastian. Te lo prometto.» «Nessuno la darà a nessuno,» precisò Harrison. Perché in realtà, quello era il punto a cui aveva cercato di arrivare. Le persone non potevano essere comprate, vendute o donate. Chiamarlo kink non rendeva legale il possesso di esseri umani. O giusto.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4.25 stars

The Kitchen Sink Dom is the first book in Tanya Chris’ new Hell’s Bedroom series and I really enjoyed it. There is such a great dynamic between Cash and Harrison and I loved the way their relationship develops, weaving in and out of the suspense side of things. Harrison had a bad experience with the wrong Dom as a young man and hasn’t been willing to explore his masochistic side since then. But it is still there and entering the world of BDSM for the case brings all those needs back to the surface. But Harrison also isn’t a traditional sub and definitely is not interested in turning over control or performing the usual submissive role. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t go crazy for the things he and Harrison do together, but he is fighting a bit of a battle within himself over letting go. It sets up an interesting problem as Harrison comes to Cash, pretending he wants to be a sub. But he is so clearly not and Cash struggles to figure out what Harrison wants, why he keeps asking for things that clearly don’t interest him. Cash can see that glimmer of the real Harrison and he knows he can give him what he wants if only Harrison will actually ask for what he truly desires.

Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the first 15 chapters, Harrison is an absolute turd to everyone who encounters him. And worse, a fairly incompetent investigator when there's potentially an underage boy's life on the line. Then for the second half of the book he's mostly a turd surrounded by people who are more competent. This was all just fairly dull, really. Cash deserved better.

[Francesca Vallicelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Non ho capito se volesse essere un trattato, un saggio o un lungo rapporto di polizia.
Piatto, senza un climax o una svolta. Nulla.
Leggo volentieri il BDSM, ma non basta praticarlo per essere in grado di scriverlo bene.

[Trefoil · Rating 3 out of 5]

dnf 65% I think this series is focusing more on this kidnapping thing than the actual romance . kinda getting tired of it

[Antisocial Recluse · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I enjoyed the investigation element of this story and Cash is the kind of Dom that I can relate to. He’s not the kind of Dom one typically reads about. I didn’t care for Harrison’s character much. He got better eventually but I kind of lost interest in him or the relationship. I’ve liked other series from the author and I have hopes for the next.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2025
Kindle edition

I hovered around this one. The cover looked interesting, but at the same time felt like it would be a parody or something. It was sweet once the truth came out but at the same time Harrison had a chip on his shoulder and I didn't like the way he led Cash on. Poor guy deserved better. In places it was a struggle to get through. Once it was all out in the open things got better. Curious about Sebastian. Not so sure about the FFF love triangle that resulted from the first buy.

[Kate00072 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoy this author but this isn't a fave

This author's book, Aftercare, is an all-time favorite, so I have high standards for Tanya Chris. Kitchen Sink Dom has a good plot, interesting side characters and an interesting main character in Cash. And I like the kink! Different than I have read previously, interesting and 🔥.

Possible spoilers follow.

I have two reasons why this does not get 5 stars nor do I plan to reread this book. First, I don't feel like a really got to know Cash or Harrison. For this being a full -length book, with alternating POV, the details about the main characters are oddly sparse. For example, Cash's apartment is colorful, but what colors? What drives their kinks? Or their decisions? Does Cash like his job? Why did Harrison leave the police force? So many tiny details that could have been included to fully flesh-out the characters, without adding to the word count or taking away from the plot. Second, Harrison is loudly, rudely judgmental about kink and doesn't show any personal growth despite being exposed to people enjoying the lifestyle, people hurting, and learning from Cash and others. He is still judgmental near the end so it was really hard for me to like him. (And made me wish Cash could have someone better which is not good for a romance.)

I will read the next in the series as I am invested now in how the continuing plot is resolved and I like to support my favorite authors. I hope these MCs appear in the rest of the series and maybe Harrison can become less judgmental.

[Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read and enjoyed everything Tanya Chris has thrown my way, so it was no surprise that I liked this one too. In fact, I think Cash and Harrison may very well be my favorite Tanya Chris couple. Both characters are absolutely lovable, but Cash stole my heart from the very beginning. There's just something about Cash, and regardless of a few growing pains, I wanted things to work out between him and Harrison. Of course, there's plenty of steamy fun between these two, as well as some kink thrown in - Hell's Bedroom is a BDSM club, after all. But that's not all Kitchen Sink Dom gives us. Nope, not even close. Harrison has a missing person to locate, a missing person that turns into much more. So, now we have a steamy romance and a solid mystery, and what starts as Harrison, his client, and someone recruited to help, turns into someone else and someone after that until we have the whole Scooby gang, so to speak. Granted, the case these characters are working is far from being anything so lighthearted as that, but my point is that we get lots of terrific characters that I hope we see more of as the series progresses. As the first book in a new series, this author has certainly set the bar high for whatever comes next, and I can't wait to see where things go for the next Hell's Bedroom couple.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steam:

Content: 2.5/5 - They all felt exceedingly short for the build-up given.

Frequency: 3/5 - I think there were 5 scenes? For a book this length, I think that'd normally be pretty good. They were too short to be satisfying though.

Romance: 2.75/5 - There's too much deception and distance. There's forgiveness and sweetness as well but it didn't feel all that intimate.

Plot: 2/5 - The author's note at the end cleared a lot of the problem up for me. The author asked their fan group for suggestions for a short story and ended up taking ALL the ideas (there's a graph at the end) and packing them into this one story. Maybe it made for a great read for her fan club? For me it felt like there was too much going on for me to ever sink into the book. I think there would have been plenty of content if the crime plot hadn't been included.

Rereadable: No.

Continuing with series/author: Meh. If it was in KU I'd be reading the 3rd book. I have trouble DNFing when I've paid for a book (what happened with this one) and I'd be annoyed if I end up buying the 3rd one and it turns out like this one. I'm skipping the 2nd book regardless but the characters that are featured in book 3 were interesting in this one.

Other: One of the things I like about reading books electronically is that they are discreet. It wasn't my favorite that this one has a colorful "Hells Bedroom" graphic at the beginning of every chapter.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really like the MC in this book. He was too close minded for me about the d/s lifestyle, and even after having people call him out for his views, he didn’t grow much. Not enough character development for me. For a “Dom” book it wasn’t really bdsm, more masochism and what they called “service tip” which was interesting and different than what I have read before, but I think that led to him being really judgy of others relationships, especially full time d/s relationships.

I read mostly for the overall plot and mystery, and the other MC was sunshiney enough for me to not hate it.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't connect with the characters. I needed some depth and details. It took forever to make it halfway but then I realized I didn't care how the book ended. The beautiful cover and blurb pulled me in, but the story didn't keep me interested.

[Theresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ "The article detailed the latest murder of a Black man by a trigger-happy cop and definitely didn’t warrant a smile. "

[78sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Das Buch habe ich mir gekauft, da mir „Tamed“ von der Autorin so gut gefallen hat.
An dieses Ebook kommt es zwar nicht ganz ran, aber „Kitchen Sink Dom“ hat mir trotzdem sehr gefallen. Der Schreibstil war sehr angenehm und es wurde nie langweilig.
Es geht hier um Privatdetektiv Harrison, der nach einem verschwunden Jugendlichen sucht. Dieser ist gerade in die BDMS Szene eingetreten und wurde das letzte mal im Hell's Bedroom, einem BDMS Club, gesehen. Für seine Ermittlungen muss er in diesen Club gelangen, aber dafür braucht man eine schwer zu bekommende Mitgliedschaft oder man muss durch ein Mitglied des Clubs mitgenommen werden. So macht sich Harrison an Cash heran. Über weite Teile des Buches spielt er ihm vor, dass er sein Sub sein will, aber Cash merkt schnell, dass Harrison sich immer wieder Szenen von ihm wünscht, die ihn ganz deutlich nicht erregen. Er merkt also, dass Harrison ihn nur ausnutzt, um in den Club zu kommen. Trotzdem haben sich mit der Zeit sowohl bei ihm als auch bei Harrison Gefühle entwickelt und so müssen beide Entscheidungen treffen. Wie die ausfallen, muss man selbst lesen. Die Chemie zwischen den Beiden war auf jeden Fall super. Cash ist ein Service Dom und will seinen Sub einfach nur befriedigen, wie ist ihm egal. Man lernt hier so viel über das BDMS Thema. Daher ist das Buch auch sehr gut als sanfter Einstieg in das Thema geeignet. Wie akkurat das schlussendlich ist, weiß ich nicht, aber es wirkt auf jeden Fall so, als ob die Autorin weiß wovon sie schreibt.
Cash ist ein unglaublich sympathischer Charakter. Er ist so unglaublich bemüht Harrison in die Szene einzuführen und herauszufinden, was er mag. Das Zwischenmenschliche, kam neben dem Sex nicht zu kurz und die Ermittlungsarbeit nahm auch einen hohen Stellenwert ein. Es war für mich eine sehr angenehme Mischung.
Die Nebencharaktere boten ebenfalls sehr viel Abwechslung und sie waren sehr interessant. Am besten gefiel mir Brixby, der Polizist mit dem Harrison zusammenarbeitet. Er war so ein unglaublicher Ruhepol und sowohl dienstlich als auch privat eine große Hilfe für Harrison. Um ihn dreht sich Band 2 der Reihe und den möchte ich unbedingt noch lesen. Der dritte Band wird dann um Sebastian gehen, den man ebenfalls schon kennenlernt. An sich ist der sadomasochistisch veranlagte Dom ein toller Nebencharakter gewesen, der richtig viel Würze einbracht durch sein arrogante, dominante Art, aber ich denke seine sexuellen Vorlieben sind mir einfach zu gewalttätig als das ich seien Band wirklich lesen möchte.
Auch andere Nebencharaktere wie Francesca, eine Dom aus dem Club, waren sehr interessant und zeigten die verschiedenen Spielarten des BDMS. Sie half beim Suchen nach dem vermissten Jungen und das ganze war wirklich emotional und mitreißend. Ich habe das Buch sehr genossen.
Warum dann nur 4 statt 5 Sternen? Bei BDMS bin ich wirklich sehr wählerisch was die Bücher angeht, die ich lesen und dann auch sehr kritisch was mir schlussendlich gefällt. Ich konnte das hier zwar sehr gut lesen, vor allem weil Cash so fürsorglich war, aber mir gefallen halt viele Techniken nicht und Harrison hatte einen Hang zum Schmerz, der mir halt nicht so liegt. Trotzdem war es sehr gutes Buch für mich.

Story 4,4/5
Charaktere 4,6/5
Schreibstil 4,0/5
Erotik 4,0/5
Gesamt 4,0/5

[DB Kimmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

The set up to the first book in Tanya Chris’ new Hell’s Bedroom series, Kitchen Sink Dom, is immediately engaging, with a prologue that includes some enticing details. While interacting with the seventeen-year-old who has come to hire Private Investigator Harrison Fisher to find his missing friend, we learn about Harrison’s BDSM history, preferences and sexuality – from his own thoughts. Taking on this case is personal… for many reasons, as he thinks, “Much as Harrison never wanted to return to that world again, he couldn’t say no.”

To infiltrate the club, Hell’s Bedroom, where the teen suspects his friend last went, Harrison goes undercover as a sub “for purely logistical reasons, and not at all because he and the world of BDSM had some unfinished business to resolve”. In doing so, he finds himself on the arm of an unsuspecting service top, Cash. As Harrison dives deeper into the investigation, an unsuspecting Cash finds himself frustrated that he cannot reach Harrison’s desires. Their relationship starts as a lie – although a necessary lie – and between that, and Harrison’s other unvoiced “secret”, the desire to please Harrison is as palpable for Cash as it is for the reader.

As new experiences bring out old wounds about his kinks, wounds he thought he had squelched, Harrison fights an internal war. The desire to have something real with Cash and the fear he’ll lose it due to his lies. But can he risk the investigation – and his heart – for the truth?

Tanya Chris seamlessly portrays two men trying to find and accept their own kinks and who they are individually as well as together within the BDSM community.

When Harrison realizes he must engage the help of civilians from the club to intercept the perp, all bets are off as truths are revealed and he, Cash, Harrison’s Boston PD sidekick, Officer Cade Brixby, Dom/Attorney Sabastian Gage, and more set out to find those responsible for using young victims’ kinks against them in the most perverse of ways.

I found I enjoyed this book for several reasons. One, of course, is the suspenseful mystery – can the wonderful cast of characters find “who done it”? Two, is the relationship between Harrison and Cash. Tanya Chris seamlessly portrays two men trying to find and accept their own kinks and who they are individually as well as together within the BDSM community. Last, but not least, Ms. Chris is respectful and tries to convey how important it is for us not to judge others’ desires if we do not completely understand them, even within our own community. And bonus… the sex scenes are more beautiful and meaningful because they have purpose. To show each characters’ growth in their relationship and within themselves.

Kitchen Sink Dom left me satisfied in many ways… including my love of how a title relates to the workings of the book (you must read it to find out). In other ways it left me craving more, because although we are given a happy for now ending between Harrison and Cash, Tanya Chris leaves us hungering to know the villain’s identity and entices us with crumbs as to a new romance simmering in the already released Chicken Soup Dom. I’m sure I know where that title is headed and I’m off to gobble it up!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holding back and bringing it all to the table

Really great story! Both an unusual investigation that doesn't take the expected path and an exploration of BDSM and kink that is honest and nonjudgemental. It introduces a fascinating and varied cast of characters from all walks of life that each bring something to the story.

The focus on this book is on Cash and Harrison. It starts with Harrison being hired to find a missing young man who was last seen at Hell's Bedroom. That being the last point of contact as well as a healthy bit of prejudice has Harrison deciding to go undercover at the club. To do so he needs to be brought in my a member, so Harrison pretends to be a sub and finds a dom to bring him in. Cash is not a typical dom and has never been able to find that someone who wants to stay with him. When he meets Harrison it is clear there is something more going on, but they match so well that Cash hopes for more. With Harrison's past and the investigation going on, Cash's hopes for a relationship seem unlikely, but the investigation is going to take more help than just these two men.

The undercover investigation take a quite a few twists and turns in this story. As it is being run by a PI, there is some leeway to do things that cops couldn't jump into. At the same time, there are also some doors closed without being a cop. This brings in a whole group of people, both from Harrison's side and from Cash's. It isn't a cut and dry type of investigation as not only is not clear if the club has anything to do with the disappearance, there is the question of whether or not the missing person truly wants to be found. It made for an interesting journey that promises to continue on in future books.

The exploration of kink was exceptionally well done. Often displayed from Harrison's perspective, it gave a healthy amount of uncertainty while still being willing to explore under Cash's guidance. Harrison had a bad experience in the past with BDSM so he is a bit judgemental of the whole thing. There is the constant reminder not to kink shame and each different kink and scene is explained both in how it can be a turn on and on the particular desire and release it gives both participants. Even if it is something that these two men don't want to do themselves, Cash is patient in explaining what it is and why it shouldn't be judged. It didn't take away from the heat of the scenes but it also made it make so much more sense. It was a very well done exploration!

This book sets up things to continue to outside the case that has been started here with Cash and Harrison while following a different couple. It is indeed an intriguing story, but it does still require some personal interest in the subject. While the exploration of BDSM in this book was enjoyable, it was also the particular dynamic of the couple that I liked best. Continuing forward the other couples appear to have a very different and more traditional D/s dynamic, which takes the books in a slightly different direction. Will have to see how that all works out.