~~~ 4.5 Stars This is my half of a Gay Guy Straight Girl Co-Review with fellow Goodreader, OJ. To see our full review click the link below. There is als~~~ 4.5 Stars This is my half of a Gay Guy Straight Girl Co-Review with fellow Goodreader, OJ. To see our full review click the link below. There is also a question/answer session that follows. [image]
INITIAL THOUGHTS
I was wrong, wrong, wrong. I didn't want to read this. Being honest here, I have a character flaw and don't do well with disabilities. Hemophilia terrified me. How could it be something I'd want to read about? I'll tell you how - by being written by a clever genius, that's how.
CHARACTERS
Geoff Gilchrist - This bratty and broken tattoo artist needs kink. His hemophilia is an issue, but his attitude is what needs an adjustment.
Robin Brady - Wealthy, gorgeous, and on the surface very together, but he's hiding from his past and denying his true self.
THE STORY
I could get into the trajectory of the story - both of these men are coming from heavy pasts that have molded them into who they are - but trust me that the plotting is perfect here. Even with the false starts and do-overs, this story moves right along and is perfect for this developing relationship. The way the guys work thru their challenges is as encouraging as it is erotic. So good.
But what I want to tell you about is the clever kink! Oh my gosh, each time I thought Robin had no way to satisfy Geoff I was completely surprised by Ms. Gormley's craft. Surprised and devastatingly satisfied. Whips and chains are lots of fun, but sensory deprivation and mind-fucking are off the charts hot in this book. And there's one scene in particular that had me flying afterwards. Thank you, Amelia!
Robin's mastery of Geoff's particular needs is a thing of creative beauty. Exactly when I thought things would need to back off, Robin just notched up the intensity. And Geoff tests Robin at every turn.
“There’s something phallic about a needle, don’t you think? You’d watch me sliding it into you, knowing there’s no part of you I can’t penetrate. Nothing off-limits. There’s no reason it can’t be part of our play if we want it to be.�
THE WRITING
Ms. Gormley does an absolutely brilliant job here. My overwhelming takeaway was with how real this all felt. So often, for me, bdsm feels like utter fantasy and not real. But here I was instantly connected. I really felt like I was peeking in on a real relationship. Flaws, miscommunication, emotions are all palpable here and made me feel part of rather than apart from the story.
And here's the thing, Gormley doesn't rush this at all. We get lots of up's and down's, starts and restarts, because that's what these guys need. It's how relationships develop. No insta-love here. But believe me, it doesn't drag, each twist and turn is necessary to solidify this complicated relationship.
Lots of kink, but lots of story too. Perfect combo.
I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review. Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog: ...more
From inches to miles. After Every Inch of the WayStop by my blog to enter to WIN in the:
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My Review:
From inches to miles. After Every Inch of the Way’s (book #4) shattering cliffy I couldn’t wait to read on to see how this all worked out. Let me just say that I ended up enjoying each character even more as the series went along and I found the ending completely satisfying. That’s not to say that a girl couldn’t wish for another scene sometime in the future. You know maybe as a holiday surprise or something? Authors, are you listening?
THE CHARACTERS
Professor Evander Carson - Defeated? No, no we can’t have that!
James Sheridan - Yes James, you are missing entire chapters in your relationship with Carson, but this book is gonna fix that.
Satish Malhotra - Sweet and vanilla and the glue that brings this all together. He’s my favorite. I was cheering for Satish all the way!
THE STORY
Evander smiled ruefully. “Are you trying to hand him off to me? You young men. The martyrdom is charming, and the whole first-claim business has a touch of Old World Chivalry, but the way you act as if you own one another…� “Oh, that’s rich. Says the guy handing James off without ever asking him if he wanted to be…�
Ah, here we get to see behind the curtain and get a full understanding of what brought James to the professor. And also, how Satish recognizes how much they need each other…even if they don’t.
The hot and beautiful end scene is not to be missed.
THE WRITING
I don’t really have anything to argue with here. At one point I thought James and Satish’s relationship wasn’t developed enough, but the authors don’t push it. They make it clear that they have time to develop.
This series works precisely because the authors show you why the relationship works. It can’t be easy to prove that a threesome can work, but they do. They have also created a story with a very special mix of tenderness and sexiness.
Strong HFN
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I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Stop by the Blog on March 8th to ENTER to WIN a copy of book #2 An Inch at a Time:
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~ ~ ~ My Review:
Belleau and Gormley reaStop by the Blog on March 8th to ENTER to WIN a copy of book #2 An Inch at a Time:
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~ ~ ~ My Review:
Belleau and Gormley really kept me off balance here, purposely. Each time I thought I could settle into relationship bliss, or figuring out a character’s ulterior motives, *swoop, there went the rug again. It’s all good though, the pace was great and the character interaction, perfect.
THE CHARACTERS
Wasn’t he supposed to be angry about that entire encounter? Scratch that, he was angry. Pissed off, more like. Pissed off for being used, for being toyed with, for being pulled into a dynamic he hadn’t consented to. But here he was, still fantasizing about James. What the fuck was that about?
“Excuse me?� A cultured voice intruded on his mental flailings.
Satish Malhotra He feels pretty dammed off balance too. He knows he’s supposed to be angry at James but he keeps fantasizing about him. And then the Professor throws down a gauntlet.
James Sheridan - He knows he has to play it cool with Satish, but he also knows he needs Carson. Satish isn’t Carson. Carson comforts. Satish snuggles.
Professor Evander Carson - Love him. Hate him. Love him. Oh Professor, my Professor……my heart breaks for you.
THE STORY
There’s this perfect (for me) scene in this book where they’re ready, willing and able and yet the sex just isn’t right. I love that the authors did that. They found a way to make the relationship stronger and more believable because of it’s flaws. Don’t worry though, they eventually get it all just right.
I had a little trouble justifying Satish’s thinking at one point. It was honestly just me though. He struggles with James� marked skin, knows he doesn’t want to put marks there himself, but he admires them anyway. I could see Satish thinking that way, I just couldn’t put myself there. It’s hard to explain, it’s not a problem with the story or the writing, it’s just a me thing.
There is a bit of hinting at a potential threesome (or some version of that), that would totally work for me. I would happily sit in a corner with Satish and watch the Professor help James. (Don’t worry Satish, you can hold my hand.)
THE WRITING
Look, a series about an older professor and his student and their bdsm relationship is just fraught with problems, right? Well that’s where the professionals stand out from the amateurs. Belleau and Gormley don’t hide from any of those issues, the tackle them head on and then throw in a few twists and turns, e.g. manipulations, just to make it more challenging. These ladies can write!
The final book in the series is next and I cannot wait to see how everything is resolved.
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I would like to thank Riptide Publishing for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest review.
Lisa Arbitrary - AttentionIsArbitrary M/M Blog
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