Date: July 17, 2016
Details: Collars & Cuffs #
8
ARC received from author
E-book
The
blurb:
In
all his relationships, Darren Fielding never found the level of intimacy he
witnessed between Thomas Williams and his sub, Peter, the day of Peter’s
“rebirth.” Not only that, he never realized such intimacy was possible. For two
years, Thomas’s business card has been burning a hole in his wallet. When
Darren’s lover moves on, maybe it’s finally time to see where that card takes
him.
Collars & Cuffs’ new barman, JJ Taylor, is really conflicted right now. He went to the club with a very specific purpose, already convinced of what he’d find there. Except it’s not what he expected at all. He certainly didn’t anticipate finding himself drawn to the new wannabe Dom. Nor could he have guessed the direction that attraction would lead him.
Old love, new love, vows, pain, rage, moving in, moving on…. The members of Collars & Cuffs face an event that touches some of them deeply, but it will only reinforce what they already know: together they are stronger, and some bonds cannot be broken.
Collars & Cuffs’ new barman, JJ Taylor, is really conflicted right now. He went to the club with a very specific purpose, already convinced of what he’d find there. Except it’s not what he expected at all. He certainly didn’t anticipate finding himself drawn to the new wannabe Dom. Nor could he have guessed the direction that attraction would lead him.
Old love, new love, vows, pain, rage, moving in, moving on…. The members of Collars & Cuffs face an event that touches some of them deeply, but it will only reinforce what they already know: together they are stronger, and some bonds cannot be broken.
My
thoughts:
So we all know I don’t do
re-reads. And yet here I am, just after finishing the re-read of a book I beta-read
not too long ago. And I enjoyed every single word of it. In fact I’m so glad I
took the time to read this story again I may have to reassess my ‘no re-reads’
rule.
Last books in a much loved series
are always a scary prospect. Of course I want to know how the story is going to
end, what the universe I’ve gotten so attached to will look like when I have to
say goodbye for the last time. But on the other side is the reluctance to end
what has been an amazing, thrilling and exhilarating love affair with a world and
characters that have become so real it feels as if they’re part of my life.
But, the main thread of this
story is the coming together of JJ and Darren. JJ has gotten the job in Collars
& Cuffs for reasons that have nothing to do with a taste for BDSM, but the
reasons he thought he had soon turn out to be founded on nothing besides
wishful thinking on his part, and between the interactions he observes in the
club and meeting Darren, he soon discovers that BDSM does indeed hold charms
he’d been previously unaware of.
Darren is an all round decent—not to be confused
with boring because Darren hasn’t got a boring bone in his body—guy. He’s been flirting with the idea of BDSM ever since he witnessed an intimate scene between Thomas and Peter, but it takes meeting JJ to send him on
his path. Something about the younger man awakens Darren’s instincts to take
care and protect. And even JJ initially refusing to be helped and distrusting
his motives doesn’t deter Darren.
JJ has issues with trust, HUGE issues
with trust, and it will take patience, care, love, and unconditional honesty on
Darren’s part before JJ can truly accept that he has found the love and safety
he’s always longed for.
While the main story line in
this book belongs to Darren and JJ, every other couple we’ve come to love over
the years makes an appearance. Their stories may have been told in previous
titles, but that doesn’t mean their lives ended when their books did. Loose
ends are tied up, things hinted at in the past come to fruition, and happy
endings become even happier.
As such, I’m not sure what my
favourite parts of this book were. As much as I enjoyed Darren and JJ’s journey,
I couldn’t help being delighted every time the story stepped away from them for
a moment, allowing me to spend time with Alex and Leo, Peter and Thomas, Scott
and Ben, Pietro and Miles, Jarod and Eli and Jeff and Damian. Those moments, combined with the ups and downs of JJ and Darren's journey, brought me smiles, made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes, both of the
happy and sad variety. I have to be honest and admit that both times I finished
the book I felt as if I’d been put through an emotional wringer, but in the
best possible way.
And so the story has reached
its finale, because all good things must come to an end(ing). But don’t despair
too hard. The clue is in the title, Endings and Beginnings. Or as Eli says it:
“This might be the ending of
one story, but I promise you, it’s the beginning of another”
The ‘beginning’ of what exactly
is for me to know and for you to find out when you read this wonderful book. I
couldn’t possibly reveal all the secrets
here. J
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