After I finished this book, I really wanted to write a long, full review, but I just never got a chance to. And now that it's a month later I don't remember enough details to do my typical type of review, but I still wanted to write what a could.
Summary:
Clarisse is on the run from her abusive ex. She believes he intends to kill her so she embarks on a cross-country trip to the one place she may be safe: her uncle's fishing boat. She arrives, falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she finds to strange men having sex on the deck.
What Clarisse didn't know was that her uncle had sold the boat to Brant and Sully. When the two find Clarisse on their boat, they soon realize she's a woman on the run and with the physical and emotional scars to prove it. They offer her refuge, with a warning that they don't lead a typical life.
Brant and Sully are involved in a full-fledged Dominance/submissive lifestyle. And they don't intend to shield Clarisse from the way they live. Clarisse is baffled, confused...and if honest, a bit turned on by what she learns about these two men. But she's got a lot of healing to do before she could consider letting herself get involved with these two intriguing men.
Review:
This was such a fascinating book. There are a lot of erotic romances out there these days that involve Dominance/submission themes, but they tend to stick to D/s in the bedroom. This story isn't like that. It's about a full D/s lifestyle, initially between to male lovers, then adding in a woman who becomes another sub in the relationship.
I admit that lifestyle D/s stories don't tend to appeal to me, especially when it involves a male being totally submissive. It's hot in the bedroom, but as a daily life thing? I personally can't imagine living like that. But I thought author Tymber Dalton did an excellent job in this book giving an outsider some insight into this type of relationship. I was completely fascinated as I read this story.
Sure I don't quite get why someone would want to live a D/s lifestyle, but it was interesting to read and showed me what others may get out of it. There is definitely romance in the book, but I wouldn't say it's the focus or an overly romantic story. This book is all about the D/s relationship, how it builds, changes, grows, the whys, the hows. There's also a strong S&M element with the submissive male craving moderately serious pain. Baffling to imagine for an outsider, but Dalton really shows you why he craves it.
I was just so impressed with this story. It's stuck with me since I read it. It's not one you want to read if you just looking for a hot erotic romance or just a bi-menage story. But if you open-minded and want to read a D/s lifestyle story then this is one that you should definitely read. It's well worth it.
(and okay, that was longer than I planned to write...)