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Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay #3
Switching Gears
Jack tells himself he no longer needs BDSM. But a mysterious Dom shows him just how wrong he is…
Tattooed bad boy Jack Harris kneels to no man. But when his anger and edgy restlessness overwhelm both his personal and professional life, he contacts the only man he ever really trusted—his one-time Leather Master, Alexei.
Personal desperation, as well as a promise made to Alexei, convinces Jack to go along with his mentor’s crazy plan… Being strapped to a St. Andrew’s cross centers the chaos in his mind, until the Dom walks through the door…and it’s the last guy he ever expects to see with a flogger in his hand…
Tattooed bad boy Jack Harris kneels to no man. But when his anger and edgy restlessness overwhelm both his personal and professional life, he contacts the only man he ever really trusted—his one-time Leather Master, Alexei.
Personal desperation, as well as a promise made to Alexei, convinces Jack to go along with his mentor’s crazy plan… Being strapped to a St. Andrew’s cross centers the chaos in his mind, until the Dom walks through the door…and it’s the last guy he ever expects to see with a flogger in his hand…
40 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
21 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
About the author
Claire Thompson
197 books1,165 followersClaire has been writing for nearly two decades, and has published over 85 novels. She writes BDSM romance and abduction tales, spanning both m/f and m/m genres. She has received numerous awards for her bestselling work, including the NLA-Int’l Pauline Réage Award and the Golden Flogger Award for best BDSM fiction.. Her darker works press the envelope of what is erotic and what can be a sometimes dangerous slide into the world of sadomasochism. Ultimately her work deals with the human condition, and our constant search for love and intensity of experience.
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https://clairethompson.net
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https://clairethompson.net
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
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October 16, 2021I decided I wasn’t going to like this book so I quit reading it. I’ve loved this series and didn’t want to ruin it by disliking the last book.
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March 29, 2010Of all the Solitary Knights, Jack and Marcos are the two who left that famous night not really having a lost lover in their memory lane to track back. They instead have a common past experience, a man who made them believe in love to then inflict the worst of betrayals, indifference. Not the same man, but the same outcome, Jack and Marcos still believe in love but don’t trust anyone with their heart.
In both of them though the need of love is overwhelming, and they do what they can to quell it: Marcos working part time as a BDSM trainer in a private club, and Jack letting sometime his rage coming out, hurting himself to not hurt someone else. But there is a time when their self-control is not working and it’s when they are together in the same room. After one another of those meetings, Jack searches in the memory for the one man who always was able to calm him down, a Master but not his Master: Alexei is now more than 70 years old, and in a long term relationship with another man, but he still cares for Jack and he will be indeed the man that will give Jack the right answer, even if a bit unwillingly.
In the previous two stories in this series, two men met love when they were too young to understand what it meant, and they lost it; they were given a second chance and they took it. In this story, nor Jack or Marcos had indeed met their real love, more than the man, they “met” the lifestyle, but nevertheless, they were too young and not ready for it. Jack’s answer was to refuse it at all, Marcos to approach it without heart, being a Master for everyone but not for himself. In a way, also Jack and Marcos are searching the memory lane for a lost love, but in this case it’s a relationship, not a man: they are searching again for that perfect BDSM relationship they tasted but not obtained, only that now maybe they will try it with the right partner, savvier of their past bad experiences.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIGEY4/?...
In both of them though the need of love is overwhelming, and they do what they can to quell it: Marcos working part time as a BDSM trainer in a private club, and Jack letting sometime his rage coming out, hurting himself to not hurt someone else. But there is a time when their self-control is not working and it’s when they are together in the same room. After one another of those meetings, Jack searches in the memory for the one man who always was able to calm him down, a Master but not his Master: Alexei is now more than 70 years old, and in a long term relationship with another man, but he still cares for Jack and he will be indeed the man that will give Jack the right answer, even if a bit unwillingly.
In the previous two stories in this series, two men met love when they were too young to understand what it meant, and they lost it; they were given a second chance and they took it. In this story, nor Jack or Marcos had indeed met their real love, more than the man, they “met” the lifestyle, but nevertheless, they were too young and not ready for it. Jack’s answer was to refuse it at all, Marcos to approach it without heart, being a Master for everyone but not for himself. In a way, also Jack and Marcos are searching the memory lane for a lost love, but in this case it’s a relationship, not a man: they are searching again for that perfect BDSM relationship they tasted but not obtained, only that now maybe they will try it with the right partner, savvier of their past bad experiences.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003BIGEY4/?...
February 25, 2010
I want to give this four stars but it just wasn't long enough. For such long standing problems and with such deep rooted issues, the resolution after so many years of denial came too quicky. This is especilly true considering the standing long time animosity between the two men. A couple of hours wasn't enough time together to get so far ahead.
Additionally, it ended too soon. Just when the journey is about to really start - the book ended.
Additionally, it ended too soon. Just when the journey is about to really start - the book ended.
October 5, 2018
This was a very engaging story and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Love is elusive for both Jack and Ronan, and it is only when their good friend Alexei puts them in touch with each other that they both find what they are truly looking for. This is a book I would have no hesitation in recommending.
Jack first met Ronan a year or so ago, but there is something about his penetrating gaze that always makes Jack feel as if he can see right into his secrets. Jack knew he had to get control of his temper and find a better way to deal with his anger. When Jack had been with Master Alexei, the jittery agitation that was such a constant in his life just seemed to slip away; he has never experienced that level of peace before or since, but Jack had tired of that scene long ago and he and Alexei lost touch. Ronan is a trainer for The Quarters, a hardcore underground gay BDSM Club. The sessions were a nice break from his day job at the Art Auction House where he had to keep up the proper façade. Ronan has a problem and no clue how to solve it. Once Ronan thought he had found love with Nicholas who had taken him along a submissive’s path. Beyond BDSM, Nicholas had taught Ronan about love, but it has taken years for him to move past the feeling of loss and betrayal. Yet BDSM had been Ronan’s salvation as he found himself more comfortable in the role of a Dominant and thrilled to the reactions he could pull from submissives who hungered for what he offered. As Jack and Alexei reminisce about the past, Alexei realises that Jack needs help; it is time for Jack to explore the power of a D/s connection. Alexei wants Jack to meet a professional Dominant and a good friend of his, who is skilled at breaking through the kind of emotional defenses Jack has built up over the years. It is one thing to do a scene with someone at a Club, but Jack is incredibly vulnerable right then, naked and strapped to a St. Andrew’s Cross, alone in a house with a stranger. Not a stranger though, because Alexei’s friend turns out to be Ronan, looking better than any man had a right to. When Alexei had referred to his friend Jack, it never occurred to Ronan it would be Jack Harris, his auto mechanic. Ronan had known Jack was gay, but there had never been a hint that he was in the scene, and no way would Ronan have pegged Jack for a submissive if he were. While Ronan found Jack attractive, in a rugged, rough kind of way, it never occurred to him, even in his fantasizes, to want to Dominate him; but Alexei had asked for this special favor. Ronan exudes a sort of calm power, but it is different from the obnoxious arrogance Jack had come to associate with him. When Ronan spoke, the authority in his voice was compelling, reminding Jack of Alexei back in the day. Jack had just got out of the Navy when he had his first real relationship with a Dominant. Jack had worshipped the man, thinking they were in love, but he was wrong; that was when Jack figured out love was for losers. The session had taken Ronan completely by surprise; he had lost control, inwardly if not outwardly, no question about it. It was the first time he had been lifted out of his comfort zone as a professional Dominant and the most personal experience he had had since Nicholas. The experience Ronan had given Jack went well beyond anything he had known was possible, even with Alexei. Jack had found something he hadn’t even known he had lost along the way; he had found himself. There is so much Jack didn’t know about Ronan, but he definitely wants to get to know him better, while Ronan feels exhilarated and grateful. What had started out as a favor for an old friend might just be his own salvation. A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
Jack first met Ronan a year or so ago, but there is something about his penetrating gaze that always makes Jack feel as if he can see right into his secrets. Jack knew he had to get control of his temper and find a better way to deal with his anger. When Jack had been with Master Alexei, the jittery agitation that was such a constant in his life just seemed to slip away; he has never experienced that level of peace before or since, but Jack had tired of that scene long ago and he and Alexei lost touch. Ronan is a trainer for The Quarters, a hardcore underground gay BDSM Club. The sessions were a nice break from his day job at the Art Auction House where he had to keep up the proper façade. Ronan has a problem and no clue how to solve it. Once Ronan thought he had found love with Nicholas who had taken him along a submissive’s path. Beyond BDSM, Nicholas had taught Ronan about love, but it has taken years for him to move past the feeling of loss and betrayal. Yet BDSM had been Ronan’s salvation as he found himself more comfortable in the role of a Dominant and thrilled to the reactions he could pull from submissives who hungered for what he offered. As Jack and Alexei reminisce about the past, Alexei realises that Jack needs help; it is time for Jack to explore the power of a D/s connection. Alexei wants Jack to meet a professional Dominant and a good friend of his, who is skilled at breaking through the kind of emotional defenses Jack has built up over the years. It is one thing to do a scene with someone at a Club, but Jack is incredibly vulnerable right then, naked and strapped to a St. Andrew’s Cross, alone in a house with a stranger. Not a stranger though, because Alexei’s friend turns out to be Ronan, looking better than any man had a right to. When Alexei had referred to his friend Jack, it never occurred to Ronan it would be Jack Harris, his auto mechanic. Ronan had known Jack was gay, but there had never been a hint that he was in the scene, and no way would Ronan have pegged Jack for a submissive if he were. While Ronan found Jack attractive, in a rugged, rough kind of way, it never occurred to him, even in his fantasizes, to want to Dominate him; but Alexei had asked for this special favor. Ronan exudes a sort of calm power, but it is different from the obnoxious arrogance Jack had come to associate with him. When Ronan spoke, the authority in his voice was compelling, reminding Jack of Alexei back in the day. Jack had just got out of the Navy when he had his first real relationship with a Dominant. Jack had worshipped the man, thinking they were in love, but he was wrong; that was when Jack figured out love was for losers. The session had taken Ronan completely by surprise; he had lost control, inwardly if not outwardly, no question about it. It was the first time he had been lifted out of his comfort zone as a professional Dominant and the most personal experience he had had since Nicholas. The experience Ronan had given Jack went well beyond anything he had known was possible, even with Alexei. Jack had found something he hadn’t even known he had lost along the way; he had found himself. There is so much Jack didn’t know about Ronan, but he definitely wants to get to know him better, while Ronan feels exhilarated and grateful. What had started out as a favor for an old friend might just be his own salvation. A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.
September 28, 2018
Awakening
Jack Harris is the owner of an auto body shop who is conflicted about the rage and disquiet within himself. His past lover hurt and betrayed Jack at a time when he was newly introduced to BDSM. Because of that experience, Jack denies anything to do with the lifestyle or entertaining the idea of becoming submissive to any dom. Yet, there is something missing in his life and with the affairs he has.
Ronin Grant is a Master Dom. He hasn’t come across a submissive that could keep his interest. Or a submissive who could really fly into subspace under his expert manipulations. When another dom asks a favor to meet with a client, Ronin has no idea the man in front of him, naked and vulnerable, would be Jack. The men view each as an adversary and are both surprised for what is about to happen.
Switching Gears is a short story that packs a punch. Ms. Thompson delivers a well-written story with two compelling characters. It is presented in dual POVs and makes for an intriguing read. I just love how the story unfolds. It’s sweet and tender and emotional. Finally, under Ronin’s expert guidance Jack finds peace and calm through submissive pain. Ronin and Jack finally find a chance at love.
Jack Harris is the owner of an auto body shop who is conflicted about the rage and disquiet within himself. His past lover hurt and betrayed Jack at a time when he was newly introduced to BDSM. Because of that experience, Jack denies anything to do with the lifestyle or entertaining the idea of becoming submissive to any dom. Yet, there is something missing in his life and with the affairs he has.
Ronin Grant is a Master Dom. He hasn’t come across a submissive that could keep his interest. Or a submissive who could really fly into subspace under his expert manipulations. When another dom asks a favor to meet with a client, Ronin has no idea the man in front of him, naked and vulnerable, would be Jack. The men view each as an adversary and are both surprised for what is about to happen.
Switching Gears is a short story that packs a punch. Ms. Thompson delivers a well-written story with two compelling characters. It is presented in dual POVs and makes for an intriguing read. I just love how the story unfolds. It’s sweet and tender and emotional. Finally, under Ronin’s expert guidance Jack finds peace and calm through submissive pain. Ronin and Jack finally find a chance at love.
October 9, 2018
Claire Thompson has a way with words. When she writes about domination and submission, she puts it in ways that few authors I've run across can. I always love how she does it and how she makes it feel so incredible and immediate.
This book is a quick prequel to her Serving His Master series, which is full of super hot stories. The story isn't just about the sex, although that is really hot, but it's about figuring out who you are and what you want, and more importantly accepting who you are and what you want. Not everyone wants to accept parts of themselves that they think aren't normal or are twisted. Jack has that problem. He found things that he liked before, but then other things happened and he had to convince himself to open back up to that part of himself. When he turns to a friend, that friend sends Ronan to help him. However, he and Ronan haven't had the best relationship possible.
I really like Ronan. He really wants to help any submissive that he's with, whether he's partnering that man or teaching him, to become his best self and to find the best place when it comes to his submission. Listening to him talk about submission is a lesson in and of itself.
Claire Thompson's work is just so beautiful because of that.
This book is a quick prequel to her Serving His Master series, which is full of super hot stories. The story isn't just about the sex, although that is really hot, but it's about figuring out who you are and what you want, and more importantly accepting who you are and what you want. Not everyone wants to accept parts of themselves that they think aren't normal or are twisted. Jack has that problem. He found things that he liked before, but then other things happened and he had to convince himself to open back up to that part of himself. When he turns to a friend, that friend sends Ronan to help him. However, he and Ronan haven't had the best relationship possible.
I really like Ronan. He really wants to help any submissive that he's with, whether he's partnering that man or teaching him, to become his best self and to find the best place when it comes to his submission. Listening to him talk about submission is a lesson in and of itself.
Claire Thompson's work is just so beautiful because of that.
October 9, 2018
Jack Harris kneels to no one and thinks he no longer needs the BDSM scene. But his anger and restlessness is starting to affect both his personal and business life. He turns to his old leather mentor, Alexei for help. Alexei knows what he needs and extracts a promise from Jack to go to his house outside the city where is he strapped into a St. Andrew's Cross and left to await a Dom. When he arrives, it is someone Jack never expected.
Jack truly did need the release he could get through submission. His current method of handling his restlessness is causing him pain and is affecting his business. the man who helps him is surprising and amazing for both men. Claire Thompson is a gifted author with the ability to make each story unique, intriguing and captivating. Switching Gears is perfect for all lovers of MM BDSM romance.
Jack truly did need the release he could get through submission. His current method of handling his restlessness is causing him pain and is affecting his business. the man who helps him is surprising and amazing for both men. Claire Thompson is a gifted author with the ability to make each story unique, intriguing and captivating. Switching Gears is perfect for all lovers of MM BDSM romance.
September 21, 2018
Jack has a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Rushmore and Ronan has enough ice around his heart to freeze Antarctica but the one thing they have in common is Alexei. Alexei knows them through and through and arranges for them to break through their barriers and as Jack put it, "he had found himself". The ice around Ronan's heart melted and he was willing to give himself to another. An epilogue would have been good but I understand why not and I really liked Rusty and would like to know more about him and Alexei but perhaps in another book.
December 8, 2021
A good short story from Ms Thompson.
Jack Harris, a mechanic with his own shop, is dealing with anger and frustration, after abandoning certain aspects of his life. He calls on the expertise of an old mentor, who recommends he meet up with Ronan Grant, a pro-Dom who uses Jack's garage.
With care, Ronan brings Jack back into the lifestyle. A nice flogging scene, and a breakthrough for both of them.
Jack Harris, a mechanic with his own shop, is dealing with anger and frustration, after abandoning certain aspects of his life. He calls on the expertise of an old mentor, who recommends he meet up with Ronan Grant, a pro-Dom who uses Jack's garage.
With care, Ronan brings Jack back into the lifestyle. A nice flogging scene, and a breakthrough for both of them.
May 14, 2023
4.25 stars. Did read this back in the day before having a Goodreads account. It held up nicely. One of the best descriptions of masochistic subspace I've read and a mention of the Old Guard, slowly turning into something else which makes sense given the year this story was written. Wouldn't have minded a longer book, with after the day after, because the romance could have been worth exploring too.
December 31, 2018
This was a quickie, but had a good build-up. Luckily the two people had a history, and that was explained early on, otherwise, the immediate connection they had would've have been too much. Good build up, just too quick on the HEA
May 26, 2019
Great story
This book as the Serving his Master series are awesome I've never read m/m but Claire Thomson really captured the deep feelings of love, lust, pain it came alive for me as I read Wow!!! Great Books
This book as the Serving his Master series are awesome I've never read m/m but Claire Thomson really captured the deep feelings of love, lust, pain it came alive for me as I read Wow!!! Great Books
May 12, 2019
What a great book but so very short. Just as I was getting into the book it was over. I didn't get a chance to get involved with the characters. I think I would like them but I didn't get enough.
November 12, 2022
An unexpected Dom.
Jack learns to accept himself, not an easy feat by any means, complicated with the trappings of a lifestyle he doesn't practice.
Well written, m/m romance in the making. An intriguing arousing storyline.
Jack learns to accept himself, not an easy feat by any means, complicated with the trappings of a lifestyle he doesn't practice.
Well written, m/m romance in the making. An intriguing arousing storyline.
September 16, 2018
Too short with a weak HFN. 3.5 stars
June 6, 2019
Great start to the series, a prequel short that has everything you could want. Alexei and Jack are sexy and intense. Can't wait for the next.
April 11, 2024
3.5 stars
Way more story here than felt satisfying as a novella. Felt much more like the first third of a truly amazing novel that suddenly cuts off right when true emotion gets involved.
Way more story here than felt satisfying as a novella. Felt much more like the first third of a truly amazing novel that suddenly cuts off right when true emotion gets involved.
Read
March 11, 2010I have been looking forward to this book every since Claire introduced Jack and not only his attitude but also the vey blasé attitude that he has when it comes to relationships.
After little meetings with him in two further books Jack has not mellowed he is still the A-hole everyone thinks he is.
The story starts with Jack in a jam when he has mess up with an order which he had used to help a friend. Now the owner of said order is in his shop and not happy about the matter. Jack in his own way expected the matter to be sorted at the counter but the order belonged to none other than Marcos Savakis and Marco and Jack has never seen eye to eye on alot of things – albeit the fact that they were both apart of the Solitary Knights Of Pelham Bay club…
The book follows the blurb right up to the point where Jack entrusts his whole self to Alexi, a man he trust more than anyone else to help him resolve some for his anger issues…
What follows is Jack being placed in a situation that find him and Marcos in the same room wanting the same thing but both are not only surprise to see the other there, but more surprise that they are there for the reason they are.
Marcos is a submissive trainer and a Dom himself, he demand a lot from the people he trains and is highly regarded in his field, finding Jack in the position he is in – strapped and bound awaiting his pleasure – make him wonder at the irony of it all.
Jack is the original bragger, not that he doesn’t follow through – but his conquest might not be as dramatic as he claims and somewhere in the back of his mind he wants what he has run away from years ago – he wants to be dominated but after one bad experience he has vowed never to be put in that position again and in making that decision he has ever after taken the topper position…
Marcos is prepared to meet Jack halfway and as boorish as Marcos finds some of Jacks attitude he is attracted to the man and he sees something that he had been searching for himself – a submissive who is not afraid to receive but to give as good as he gets…
SWITCHING GEAR is a great name for this book – it is such a play on everything that the book is about, attitude, mannerism and eventually lifestyle.
Because I have had other interaction with Jack since originally meeting him – I sort of accepted some of his ways. I knew he was a bragger, he has a wondering eye and he say the most ridiculous things sometimes… But I liked him. Finding out more about why he was like that really made me look at him in a different light.
Ms. Thompson surrounded Jack with a past in the guise of Alexi who further developed on Jacks past history and introduced me as the reader to the lifestyle that Jack had run away from but which Alexi seems to thrive in, if his submissive was anything to go back…
Marcos got his page time as well –I saw him in his domain, where he is master at what he does best and I have to say I was liking it. BDSM is not for everyone, but I have always thought Thompson does have a gentle hand at introducing this kink to her reader, she bring out the sensual side of the art as well as the emotional connection between the players.
Marcos is Jack’s here and now if he allows him to master him he can be his future if he is willing to take a chance and meet Marcos half way as well.
I liked this book alot, there was no gentleness to it, no whining, no sympathy sentences. harsh reality was brought to light and both men had to accept things about themselves and embrace the fact that the past only made them the men they are now.
Thompson’s style is a dead give away in this one, little sarcasm was tossed in here and there to soften the more aggressive scenes, and she didn’t skimp on the details – I love that about her..
As a third books, this was a perfect addition, and I think I am loving this one the best so far…
After little meetings with him in two further books Jack has not mellowed he is still the A-hole everyone thinks he is.
The story starts with Jack in a jam when he has mess up with an order which he had used to help a friend. Now the owner of said order is in his shop and not happy about the matter. Jack in his own way expected the matter to be sorted at the counter but the order belonged to none other than Marcos Savakis and Marco and Jack has never seen eye to eye on alot of things – albeit the fact that they were both apart of the Solitary Knights Of Pelham Bay club…
The book follows the blurb right up to the point where Jack entrusts his whole self to Alexi, a man he trust more than anyone else to help him resolve some for his anger issues…
What follows is Jack being placed in a situation that find him and Marcos in the same room wanting the same thing but both are not only surprise to see the other there, but more surprise that they are there for the reason they are.
Marcos is a submissive trainer and a Dom himself, he demand a lot from the people he trains and is highly regarded in his field, finding Jack in the position he is in – strapped and bound awaiting his pleasure – make him wonder at the irony of it all.
Jack is the original bragger, not that he doesn’t follow through – but his conquest might not be as dramatic as he claims and somewhere in the back of his mind he wants what he has run away from years ago – he wants to be dominated but after one bad experience he has vowed never to be put in that position again and in making that decision he has ever after taken the topper position…
Marcos is prepared to meet Jack halfway and as boorish as Marcos finds some of Jacks attitude he is attracted to the man and he sees something that he had been searching for himself – a submissive who is not afraid to receive but to give as good as he gets…
SWITCHING GEAR is a great name for this book – it is such a play on everything that the book is about, attitude, mannerism and eventually lifestyle.
Because I have had other interaction with Jack since originally meeting him – I sort of accepted some of his ways. I knew he was a bragger, he has a wondering eye and he say the most ridiculous things sometimes… But I liked him. Finding out more about why he was like that really made me look at him in a different light.
Ms. Thompson surrounded Jack with a past in the guise of Alexi who further developed on Jacks past history and introduced me as the reader to the lifestyle that Jack had run away from but which Alexi seems to thrive in, if his submissive was anything to go back…
Marcos got his page time as well –I saw him in his domain, where he is master at what he does best and I have to say I was liking it. BDSM is not for everyone, but I have always thought Thompson does have a gentle hand at introducing this kink to her reader, she bring out the sensual side of the art as well as the emotional connection between the players.
Marcos is Jack’s here and now if he allows him to master him he can be his future if he is willing to take a chance and meet Marcos half way as well.
I liked this book alot, there was no gentleness to it, no whining, no sympathy sentences. harsh reality was brought to light and both men had to accept things about themselves and embrace the fact that the past only made them the men they are now.
Thompson’s style is a dead give away in this one, little sarcasm was tossed in here and there to soften the more aggressive scenes, and she didn’t skimp on the details – I love that about her..
As a third books, this was a perfect addition, and I think I am loving this one the best so far…
May 29, 2016
This is probably a 3.5 rounded up to four.
Others have commented on the short time frame as being the main problem with this book.
I don't think the problem was so much the short time frame, as that within the time frame it felt rushed.
The whole set up was fine. The reader is 56% of the way through the book before the encounter starts. The last half should have had a few more pages to do the set up justice.
A couple of times a paragraph of conversation started at the right place and ended at the right place, but it was as if there was a whole chunk of dialogue missing in the middle to get it from point A to point B.
This is a seminal moment when Marcos has to convince Jack it's the right thing to do, but it's all handled in one paragraph.
It is this transition from anatagonism, to reluctant acceptance, to full acceptance, to welcoming it that really makes these sorts of enemies to lovers stories enjoyable. When I saw I was half way through and knew where it was going in the end, I though it could have been half as long again.
Spreading out the time frame wouldn't have solved the problem. They did know each other fairly well on one level, it's the journey to that first acceptance that needed to take longer. At least in my humble opinion.
Maybe it's only minor quibble, but it's what stops this book (and others of Claire's) being a solid 4 or even 5.
I love the variety of her characters and scenarios. I just feel she rushes the important bits. The mental bits.
The only other minor comment I might make is show me where all these men are who are so in tune with and able to articulate their feelings. I don't know any. LOL.
Others have commented on the short time frame as being the main problem with this book.
I don't think the problem was so much the short time frame, as that within the time frame it felt rushed.
The whole set up was fine. The reader is 56% of the way through the book before the encounter starts. The last half should have had a few more pages to do the set up justice.
A couple of times a paragraph of conversation started at the right place and ended at the right place, but it was as if there was a whole chunk of dialogue missing in the middle to get it from point A to point B.
“Jack, when Alexei called me, he asked me to come over and meet with a man he holds in high regard. He explained this is a man ready to reconnect with the part of himself that can give up sexual control in order to find that intensity of experience he has been missing all these years. It’s not just a matter of letting yourself be tied up and whipped. You and I both know it’s so much more. Alexei told me, Jack. I know you—I know what you need, if you can let go enough to find it. If it makes you feel better, I’m not doing this for you—it’s for him, for Alexei.”
This is a seminal moment when Marcos has to convince Jack it's the right thing to do, but it's all handled in one paragraph.
It is this transition from anatagonism, to reluctant acceptance, to full acceptance, to welcoming it that really makes these sorts of enemies to lovers stories enjoyable. When I saw I was half way through and knew where it was going in the end, I though it could have been half as long again.
Spreading out the time frame wouldn't have solved the problem. They did know each other fairly well on one level, it's the journey to that first acceptance that needed to take longer. At least in my humble opinion.
Maybe it's only minor quibble, but it's what stops this book (and others of Claire's) being a solid 4 or even 5.
I love the variety of her characters and scenarios. I just feel she rushes the important bits. The mental bits.
The only other minor comment I might make is show me where all these men are who are so in tune with and able to articulate their feelings. I don't know any. LOL.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2012
Intriguing story, but it didn't last as long as I wanted it to
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- The Dom in this story is not the one I expected it to be. In fact, the whole BDSM element sort of came out of nowhere, but I liked that. It felt like just another element of the men’s lives, rather than the one thing that defines them.
- The BDSM angle here is less theatrical than in most stories. The two men are genuinely into dominance and submission, but few of the typical BDSM trappings are present.
CON:
- (This might be a pro for some people.) This is more a story of self-discovery than a romance. Jack experiences an epiphany after a single night of true submission to Marcos, but after reading about each man’s fervent yearning for love, I wanted to see more of an emotional attachment between them. Again, there’s promise at the end of the story, but no more.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 8/10
PROS:
- The Dom in this story is not the one I expected it to be. In fact, the whole BDSM element sort of came out of nowhere, but I liked that. It felt like just another element of the men’s lives, rather than the one thing that defines them.
- The BDSM angle here is less theatrical than in most stories. The two men are genuinely into dominance and submission, but few of the typical BDSM trappings are present.
CON:
- (This might be a pro for some people.) This is more a story of self-discovery than a romance. Jack experiences an epiphany after a single night of true submission to Marcos, but after reading about each man’s fervent yearning for love, I wanted to see more of an emotional attachment between them. Again, there’s promise at the end of the story, but no more.
April 24, 2010
To be honest, I don't remember much about Jack or Marcos from previous book. There is something about D/s relationship that always makes me wonder. Though the ending is not really an HEA, for me, more of uhm, let's see how this goes kind of end but I enjoy it enough.
June 27, 2010
These m/m romances are decent reads and remind me quite a bit of a Carol Lynne series. The Solitary Knights of Pelham Bay are a group of extremely cynical guys who'd given up on love and get together to bitch and moan about fools who believe in love. Then the bartender issues them a challenge...
March 15, 2015
jack doesn't do relationship he was into bsdm but he left the years and years ago, He remember a time when Alexis an man he wouldn't say he loved but he was a mentor in the bdsm world.
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