SHATTERED BONDS

SHATTERED BONDS by Lynda Aicher

 

Pages: 284

Date: 20/09/2014

Grade: 4+

Details: no. 7 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through Love Romances and More

Kindle

The blurb:

“Will the doors of The Den close forever?

When the lives and friendships of The Den owners are thrown into chaos, Noah Bakker steps in to deal with the fallout. He hasn’t had a sub or participated in a Scene since tragedy changed his life four years ago. But as an investor in the exclusive BDSM club, he can’t walk away from the lifestyle completely. As he works to keep the club running, he finds himself drawn to Liv Delcour, the seemingly naïve sister of one of the other owners. 

Liv didn’t know about the naughty things her friends were up to behind closed doors, but when their secrets become headline news, she’s more curious than shocked. As she works with Noah to keep the media at bay, she finds that his dominant strength is more than a little arousing. Soon they’re exploring their mutual desires in the most wicked ways. 

Liv isn’t sure if she can completely submit to Noah the way she thinks he wants her to—and Noah isn’t sure he can withstand the pain of falling in love…”

My thoughts:

Shattered Bonds starts with a bang. Before you’re five percent into the story you’ll be worrying about at least half the characters you’ve come to love while reading the ‘Wicked Play’ series. Everything is suddenly uncertain. There are questions about life and death as well as the future of The Den and it’s impossible not to get caught up in the worry and uncertainty.

In the midst of the chaos that ensues, Liv is the light and bright spark keeping everyone going. There were times when she was a bit too much for me; too good, too cheerful, too understanding and too unquestioning. But overall she made me smile as well as wish I was a better person. And, given the darkness Noah struggles with, Liv’s character had to be both understanding and patient for the story and the romance to work.

Noah broke my heart for most of this book. His pain, fear and reluctance to commit ever again were so vivid it made me hurt for him. The way he eventually deals with his issues and the sacrifice Liv makes to make that possible for him, were both heartbreaking and utterly beautiful.

Ultimately this is a book about love, friendship and loyalty. Things that might shatter us if we have to face them alone, can be managed if those who are close to us gather around to see us through. It is a wonderful truth and powerful message.

As always Lynda Aicher has put several pearls of wisdom in her story. I’ve decided to not quote BDSM related statements this time since I covered those in my previous reviews. The following sentiment though rang very true for me:

“She didn’t go around envisioning the sex lives of any of her other friends.”

This is such a wonderful line. The whole world seems to feel they have the right to judge how people who are into kink or are gay or ‘other than the norm’ have sex. And yet those same people probably don’t spend a minute thinking about their neighbours’ sex life. Because they know it’s none of their business. Well, guess what. It’s none of your business either if the people concerned happen to like something you’re not into or you don’t understand.

The following scene brought tears to my eyes. Liv’s selflessness was astounding and inspiring.

“You have so much love to give, but your heart is still broken. Her actions shattered it. But it still beats. You’re still alive. You need to find a way to piece it back together so you’re not afraid to use it again.” – Liv to Noah.

As she did in the previous books in this series, Lynda Aicher manages to give us yet another perspective on BDSM. With Liv not being submissive, even though she does enjoy kinky sex, and Noah no longer comfortable with the idea of a full-time D/s relationship, this book shows that it isn’t all or nothing. We all develop our relationships based on our personal needs, and that’s the only way it can possibly work. I’m both delighted and impressed at how well Lynda Aicher managed to convey that message in this series.

I have adored this series from the very beginning. Every single title brought me hours of reading joy and all the characters I encountered in the stories will stay with me for one reason or another. For that reason, the epilogue left me with a big smile as well as a bit teary-eyed. It was a wonderful and very romantic ending to a series I’ve loved from start to finish. It was also goodbye. As much as it was great to have the series end on a high, I can’t deny I will miss these characters and The Den. The world and characters Lynda Aicher created became real for me and saying goodbye to them is a bit like saying goodbye to trusted friends. Not having a next book to look forward to is going to take a bit of getting used to. On the upside though, there’s a new series on the way and if the ‘Wicked Play’ books are anything to go by, it’s going to be fun losing myself in new characters.

“That was what this day was really about. The victory of love and the promise it had given them all when someone had tried to destroy it.”

BONDS OF COURAGE

BONDS OF COURAGE by Lynda Aicher

Pages: 263

Date: 17/06/2014

Grade: 4.5

Details: No. 6 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through Love Romances and More

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

Pro hockey player Holden Hauke has kept his sexual needs buried for years. After a near miss over a picture of him bound to a spanking bench resulted in a mid-season trade, he's kept his image clean. But with the season over, he's ready to surrender control. And he's found just the woman to help him—if only he can convince her to give him a chance.

Bending men to her will is nothing new for Vanessa Delcour, aka Mistress V—she's a full-time rep for pro athletes, a part-time owner of exclusive sex club The Den, and an experienced Domme. But when Holden Hauke comes looking for a discreet partner, Vanessa's concerned about his motives. Touching his training-toned body during a scene wouldn't exactly be a hardship, but taking him on crosses barriers between work and play that she's had in place for years.

From their first intense encounter in Mistress V's playroom, Hauke knows he can't let this chance slip away; he's found the woman he's always needed. Submissive or not, he's willing to push her every limit to prove how good they can be together.

My thoughts:

‘Bonds of Courage’ is the sixth title in the ‘Wicked Play’ series and more than lived up to the expectations I had based on those earlier books. Over the course of six books I have gotten very attached to The Den, the people who own the place and their partners.

This instalment features Vanessa Delcour – full-time rep for professional athletes, partner in The Den, an exclusive sex club, and known as Mistress V an experienced Domme. For years she has successfully kept all the threads of her life separated and she is determined to keep it that way. Vanessa is in control of her life and doesn’t allow anyone to breach her carefully set boundaries or anything to control her. It is a balancing act but a successful one until Holden Hauke applies for membership at The Den.

Holdon Hauke is a professional hockey player. He has kept his sexual needs and desires buried, especially after one indiscrete photo of him tied to a spanking bench nearly cost him his career and forced a mid-season transfer. With the summer break on his hands Holden turns to The Den in the hope of finding a discrete Mistress. One look at Vanessa is enough to tell Holden he’s found what he’s been looking for.

With their first encounter going off to a bad start because of Holden’s lie on his application to The Den and Vanessa’s reluctance to let anyone in to her life never mind her heart a relationship between these two seems doomed from the start. Holden is not prepared to give up though. He may be submissive, he is determined to do whatever it takes to show Vanessa that they belong together.

For the sixth consecutive time Lynda Aicher has brought her readers two characters who are interesting, easy to root for yet realistic and flawed. I fell in love with Holden the moment he made his first appearance. I loved the ease with which he surrendered to his needs despite the risks involved and Vanessa’s attempts to push him away, and delighted in the release he found in bondage.

“The firm clasp of the thick bands of leather was his freedom.”

Vanessa was a little bit harder to like. She was so determined to be independent, to keep all the different threads in her life separate and avoid all attachments, that it was almost too easy to believe she really was the hard bitch she portrait herself as. That image made the rare occasion on which her hard shell cracked all the more beautiful though.

“It made no sense, but he was under her skin, burning through her as no other sub ever had.”

This story is a reversal of the BDSM story we usually read. In this book it isn’t the sub who needs to be convinced of his needs, it isn’t the sub running away from something new and scary. This time we are dealing with a sub who knows exactly what he wants and has a job on his hands convincing his Domme that his needs happen to mirror hers.

“He could make her happy. Please her. He got everything he needed by giving her what she needed. It was a perfect combination that.”

I loved Holden for getting Vanessa, for taking his time and for reading her well enough to know what all her small sign and gestures meant. I loved the moment he gave her a pair of flip-flops.

“The only time she wasn’t in heels was when she let her shields down, and he wanted that all the time with him.”

I’m very grateful that although there is lots of angst and conflict in this book I didn’t have to read my way through a lengthy split between the protagonists based on fear or a misunderstanding. I’m equally happy that the author kept things real; the resolution of issues was organic and believable.

Overall this was a wonderful, smooth, very sexy and fascinating read. The descriptions of Vanessa’s sessions with Holden were captivating as were the occasions when the two of them gave into their feelings without any play involved.

I discovered that there is one more Wicked Play story to come in September 2014. While I’m delighted to have another book in this series to look forward to I am already sad that book will also mean I’ll have to say goodbye to The Den and all who play and love there.

“I’m yours. In every way. Beyond the playroom. Beyond the spankings and bondage and play – I belong to you.”

BONDS OF DENIAL

TITLE: BONDS OF DENIAL

AUTHOR: LYNDA AICHER

Pages: 281

Date: 03/02/2014

Grade: 5

Details: No. 5 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley      

Own / Kindly

The blurb:

It’s been twenty years since Rockford Fielding’s father punished him for kissing another boy. Now a grown man with a military career behind him, Rock continues to deny his true desires, even while working security at The Den, the most decadent sex club in town. But after a year of watching gorgeous Carter Montgomery come and go on the arms of other men, Rock can no longer resist the cravings he’s denied for so long.

Carter has just four months left on his contract with an escort agency, and he doesn’t know whether to feel relieved or afraid. Being an escort is all he knows. Adding to his confusion is the way his latest client, the sexy but stoic Rock, makes him feel things he hasn’t wanted in years.

One charmingly awkward date turns into two and soon the men are meeting off the clock. But with Rock in the closet and Carter unsure how to pursue a real relationship how can they build a future both in and out of the bedroom?

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My thoughts:

When I finished my review of ‘Bonds of Hope’ I mentioned I really wanted to read Rock’s story. The tough and standoffish man in charge of security at The Den had intrigued me more with every subsequent ‘Wicked Play’ title. Sometimes wishes come true and this one not only got fulfilled, it also exceeded all my expectations and hopes. In fact, I think Rock and Carter’s story is my favourite in this series so far.

From the very start of the book it was impossible not to fall a little bit in love with both Rock and Carter. The courage it takes for Rock to, after 34 years of denial, at last acknowledge his feelings and explore his gay nature is astounding and Lynda Aicher does a wonderful job describing the struggle inside this man. The conflict between his attraction to Carter and his need to explore that feeling, and the shame and fear he experiences just thinking about the fact that he actually is attracted to another man was both powerful and heartbreaking. Carter’s patience with the man who doesn’t seem to be able to admit to his wants and needs was tender and beautiful even before they exchanged their paid encounters for simple dates.

There’s so much angst in this story. We’re 26% into it, watching Rock’s third meeting, be it first date, with Carter before he can admit out loud, to both himself and the man he hungers for, that he is gay. But once Rock takes that first step, there is no holding him back. A weight has been lifted of his shoulders and for the first time in his life he feels as if he is allowed to be who he is.

“Each step was one more away from something and closer to another. That was always true, only this was the first time he was actively looking forward to where he was going.” - Rock

Carter’s character is equally beautiful. When we meet him we’re introduced to a confident man, not ashamed of what he does for a living and compassionate enough to take the time it takes for Rock to come to terms with his needs. It is only as the story unfolds and Rock and Carter get closer that the escort’s insecurities surface. Fourteen years in the business have left their mark. Carter may claim to be unashamed of his work he is not sure he is able to live without it. What is more, he can’t help being afraid that sooner rather than later Rock will leave him because of it. He knows that good things don’t last for people like him and it isn’t long before he is pushing the man he is falling for away, convinced that it is better to reject than to be rejected.

I loved when the roles reversed. Rock, his decision made had no doubts and was prepared to burn his ships behind him if that was what it took to live the life he was meant to live with the man he has fallen for. When Carter’s insecurities threaten to tear them apart it is Rock who has the patience and courage to do what is necessary to proof that his love is real, that he has confidence in his lover and wants to spend the rest of his life with him.

“Thank you”, he mumbled. “For what?” “Holding me”. “Anytime”. Rock said, his arms cinching tighter. “Anytime.”

The lengths Rock goes to go to in order to proof both his willing embrace of his true nature and his love for Carter had me reading with tears in my eyes.

“I’ll always come back for you. Always.” – Rock

Tears that returned when, at long last, Carter was able to believe his lover’s feelings and commitment.

“God, I love you. I don’t know how I got you, but I am never pushing you away again.” – Carter

While this series may be set around the owners of a BDSM club, this book doesn’t contain any elements of Domination and submission. And this story didn’t lack anything as a result. In fact, throwing the BDSM dynamic into this story on top of the angst and the M/M story-line would probably have been overkill. This was a perfect read; fantastic characters, a wonderful romance, a captivating and believable story and lots of realistic angst. I really couldn’t ask for more.

The knowledge that we’re nearing the end of this series leaves me kind of sad. I will miss these characters, their friendships and loyalty and, most of all, the wonderful stories. Thankfully there are two more “Wicked Play” books to come before I have to face that moment. I’ll be first in line to get my hands on them as soon as they become available.

BONDS OF HOPE

TITLE: BONDS OF HOPE

AUTHOR: LYNDA AICHER

Pages: 228

Date: 01/09/2013

Grade: 5-

Details: no. 4 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley

Own / Kindle

The Blurb:

“Quinn Andrews has a lot to learn about the world of BDSM. Once America's sweetheart, she has an opportunity to revive her career by playing a sexual submissive in a highly anticipated new series. Quinn is ready to throw herself into the role, and her hometown's premier sex club, The Den, is the ideal place for a crash course.

At first Marcus Reese is reluctant to take on Quinn's erotic education, despite his intense attraction to the stunning starlet. While she fulfills his every command perfectly, she's also a consummate actress—and Marcus is determined to uncover the real woman hidden behind the mask.

Quinn's been taking direction all her life, so submitting to a Dom comes easily. But it's not just the most amazing sex she's ever had—Marcus challenges her to define her own needs and make her own decisions. And when her training is over, Quinn will have to choose between continuing to play a part in her own life, or living by her own rules.”

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Over the past three books, “Bonds of Trust”, “Bonds of Need”, and “Bonds of Desire” I have come to love the world and characters Lynda Aicher has created. And “Bonds of Hope” is a very welcome addition to a wonderful series. 

In this book we meet Quinn - or as her fans know her, Missy – who has been in the lime-light since she was eight years old. Hoping to get away from her image as the cute girl she has accepted the role of a submissive in a new television series and, determined to get it right, she has come to The Den for a week of training with one of their Doms. Quinn is not trying to decide whether or not she actually is a submissive at heart, all she wants is to portray one believably. And if that means playing a part while in The Den, that is fine with her. She’s done all the research she could do on line and is well prepared to be the perfect sub for her temporary Master.

“It was time to become Q – the obedient submissive to a strict, controlling Dom.”

Enter Marcus. One of the new joint owners of The Den he loves his job. Giving his clients the submission they crave fulfills a need deep inside him. When he comes face to face with Quinn though he has his doubts. His instincts tell him there is a true submissive hiding underneath the facade presented by the actress. What he doesn’t know is if he will be able to get her to recognise that over only one week of training, or if one week will be enough to deal with all the issues she’s clearly carrying around.

“But was one week really enough time to take away any of that hurt? He wasn’t certain, but he was sure as hell going to try.”

This week was only supposed to be about training Quinn so that she could play her new role convincingly, but it isn’t long after they have started their sessions that both Marcus and Quinn start experiencing feelings they weren’t expecting and aren’t ready for. Quinn has little to no control over her own life. Everything she does is determined by her mother, her agent and her publicist. Giving up her control once again is both something she does almost automatically and something she is very reluctant to do. It will take time before she realises that, in submitting, she isn’t giving away her power:

“Another lesson for you. The sub always has the power. The Dom in the facilitator. The submissive controls the Scene.”

Almost despite herself she finds herself really falling into her submissive role with Marcus.

“So many possible answers flooded her mind, but her mouth said, “Yes Sir.””

It takes a few days, but it is a revelation when she realises that:

“He’d hurt her. But he hadn’t harmed her. That was the difference, the one that had clicked in during the Scene.”

When the week of training is over and the real world intrudes on what has been seven days of pure bliss, Quinn travels back to Hollywood, leaving Marcus behind both heartbroken and bewildered. It will take a near disaster and a miracle to get Quinn to realise what she has given up and that it is time to take control of her own life. And it seems that control over her own life comes with submitting to the Dom she has grown to love.

“How’d you get so smart, kitten?”                                 
“I learned from someone who was patient enough to teach me.”

I have to admit that this was the first book by Aicher in which it took me a very long time to get to like the main female character. I couldn’t get a feel for her at all for a very long time and for a while there was a risk that this might actually make me like the book less than I had the previous ones. It was only near the end of the story that I understood that this was probably how I was supposed to feel about Quinn. The real Quinn had been hidden for so long that even the girl herself wasn’t quite sure anymore who that might be. It took her time with and separation from Marcus to give her the insight and the courage to take control of her own life. And once she does, boy does she make up for all the pages on which she appeared to be barely there. Quinn’s growth in this story is so subtle that it doesn’t become clear to her or the reader how far she has come until it is almost too late to benefit from it.

Marcus, on the other hand, I adored from the moment he was introduced. He is the sort of man all of us would love to have in our lives, full of understanding, patience and love. And I loved that by the end of the story the roles are slightly reversed; trust the submissive to tell the Dom how their relationship is going to work.

This was another wonderful erotic romance by Lynda Aicher set in a world of Doms and submissives where friendship and loyalty take priority over everything else. These are very erotic feel-good reads and a wonderful way to spend a quiet Sunday.

Like I said before, I have fallen in love with these books and I’m delighted that there are more titles to come in this series. The book I’m holding out for though, the book I really want to read – although I’ve no way of knowing if that particular one is even in the planning – is Rock’s story. I really hope that this man, normally in the background keeping everybody safe, will be given his own Happily Ever After.

BONDS OF DESIRE

TITLE: BONDS OF DESIRE

AUTHOR: LYNDA AICHER

Pages: 229

Date: 15/07/2013

Grade: 5-

Details: no. 3 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley

Own/Kindle

The Blurb:

Lawyer Allison English never planned to return to The Den—despite her naughty fantasies about being bound by owner Seth Matthews. But when club guest Tyler Wysong is injured in a scene, Seth turns to Allie for help. Aroused by both men, Allie should turn the case down. But she can't.

After his bad experience, Tyler has no interest in being with another Dom. Yet he can't deny his attraction to Master Seth. When Seth offers him a place to stay, Tyler agrees—if Allie will stay too. But what good is a chaperone who adds to his temptation?

Living with two subs brings out Seth's protective instincts, though Allie insists she's not into the lifestyle, and Tyler swears he's done with it. But the chemistry between the trio prompts them to agree to submit to him for one week, and he'll show them both the true pleasure that a Dom can provide.

The intimacy could break them all, or bind them together forever…

This is the third book in the “Wicked Play” series and I think it is my favourite. While “Bondsof Need” and “Bonds of Trust” dealt with one-on-one relationships, be it in a BDSM environment, this book centres on a threesome.

Master Seth, one of the three Doms owning and running The Den BDSM club, and Allison (Allie) English haven’t seen each other since Allie made her one and only visit to the club a few months ago. Unbeknownst to them, they haven’t been able to get each other out of their minds.

Tyler Wysong is a new character. As a male prostitute working through an agency he finds himself submitting to a powerful and abusive Dom in one of the private rooms of The Den. When the Dom goes too far in his abuse, the owners of the club intervene and stop the scene. Their action comes too late though to prevent Tyler from being seriously injured.

Allie is called into the club by the three Doms for Tyler’s sake. If he wants to press charges, they want to make sure he has the best possible representation.

As soon as Seth, Tyler and Allie find themselves together it becomes clear that there is a strong chemistry between the three of them. But with Tyler being injured and very stand-offish and Allie having all sorts of doubts and misconceptions about the BDSM scene, Seth’s plan to introduce the other two to the pleasures of submission appear doomed from the start.

“The pull to Tyler was just as strong as the one to Allie – and just as wrong.” (Seth)

A week together under Seth’s gentle yet dominating guidance awakens strong and unexpected feelings in all three of them. Despite his resistance to Seth’s attentions and his doubts about why he is actually in the Dom’s loft, Tyler can’t deny that Seth’s presence has a profound effect on him:

“Just one touch, right there, and all of the tension dripped from him, leaving behind nothing but calm compliance.”

Tyler may have been renting himself out as a sub, he has never, ever truly submitted to anyone. And now, in his vulnerable position, he finds himself wondering:

“What would it be like to truly, honestly, surrender and trust this man before him?”

Being on the receiving end of pure pleasure without any counter demands on him, is something Tyler hasn’t experienced before and a memory he’s determined to cherish:

“Anything to enhance the memory of the one time a man sucked him off for no other reason than to give Tyler pleasure…For once, he simply took and enjoyed.”

And Allie has a lot to come to terms with as well. She can’t deny her attraction to Seth and Tyler, in fact:

“Whether Allie admitted it to herself or not, she needed this. They all did for one reason or another.”

And she has to admit that submitting to her partners is not something that stems from her being weak or Seth and Tyler taking advantage of her.

“She wasn’t bound, she was freed. And with a long, slow exhale, she let go.”

Allie, like many a new submissive before her, has to learn that submitting isn’t about giving up your power to someone else. As Seth explains to her so very eloquently:

“It takes more courage to willingly give yourself to a Dom than it does for the Dom to tie you down…I can only have what you give me. In that way, you control me.”

But it is not just Allie and Tyler who have to come to terms with their new feelings. Seth may be an experienced Dom, the feelings he has for his two guests and the hopes these raise within him for the future are new and confusing:

“Seth bit back a groan. They were so close and damn, but he wanted this threesome to work. He wasn’t sure why or how it would succeed of if he wanted two subs, but he wouldn’t let this slip away. Allie seemed to give something to Tyler that Seth couldn’t and he wanted Tyler to have that. The man needed to know that he was more than his occupation. That there were people in the world who wanted him for who he was. And Allie stirred something in Seth he wanted to claim just as much as Tyler.”

Their one week together is magical for all three of them. But after that week the real world awaits them again. A secret act of kindness from Seth manages to upset Tyler so much that he breaks all contact with the Dom and Allie. And Allie and Seth don’t have a future if it doesn’t include Tyler as well. It will take a near disaster to bring the three together again and give them another opportunity to embrace the unconventional but oh so tempting relationship.

“Yeah, she really could have them both. The future would sort itself out and it’d be okay, because not trying, not seeing, would be worse.” (Allie)

There was a lot I loved in this book. First and foremost I really like Lynda Aicher’s writing and characters. The story runs smoothly and has the perfect balance between general story and (very) sexy scenes. These characters are real and completely normal people and it is easy to identify with them, even if you may not be able to imagine yourself in a similar situation.

I also liked that this book shows that there is another side to BDSM. A side that doesn’t involve pain or public displays of humiliation:

“Have faith in the three of us. No one is here to hurt the other.”

In fact, the author goes one step further. What started out as a power-exchange has turned into something completely different but equally wonderful by the time all conflicts are resolved:

“But he wasn’t their Master. He was their lover. That was perfect.”

It is wonderful to see the characters grow and change while at the same time staying true to themselves in this story. And the change is biggest for Allie with her very traditional and conservative background and career-driven life. She has to grow a lot but it is worth every struggle when she realizes that:

“More importantly, she needed them both. They gave her balance where she hadn’t known she required it.”

And I delighted in the hotness of this book. While a ménage may be a bit much for some readers, it worked very well for me. I’m impressed with the way in which Lynda Aicher managed to write a very sexy story about a three-some without ever making it feel cheap or over the top. She sure knows how to make it exciting though:

“I know what I want. And this – us, Seth in me, me in you. That’s what I want.” (Tyler)

Although these three books take care of the three Doms who own The Den, I really hope that Lynda Aicher continues with this series. And it does appear that she has created a wonderful opportunity to do just that in the epilogue. My fingers are firmly crossed that she will continue with this very entertaining, if slightly wicked, series.

BONDS OF NEED

TITLE: BONDS OF NEED

AUTHOR: LYNDA AICHER

Pages: 212

Date: 18/03/2013

Grade: 4.5

Details: no. 2 Wicked Play

            Received from Carina Press

            Through NetGalley

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“When Kendra Morgan attends a party at an exclusive sex club, she's not driven by mere curiosity. Hoping to prove she's put the past behind her, Kendra must instead face up to needs she's denied for too long. Despite her lingering fears, she can't resist the temptation to play…

Deklan Winters has had his eye on his attractive neighbor for months, but only senses Kendra is no stranger to the BDSM scene when she walks into his club. And he can tell that's not her only secret. What surprises him is his own overwhelming desire to give her what she craves—and to show her a side to the Dom/sub relationship she's never known.

With Deklan's guidance, Kendra begins to accept her forbidden needs and to recognize the fine line between pleasure and pain. But when her former Master returns to reclaim her, it will take all her courage—and all of Deklan's love—to defy her past.”

This was a wonderful read. I can honestly say I loved it from the first page to the very last word and had a hard time putting it down when real life interrupted my reading. I really enjoyed “Bonds of Trust”, the first title in the Wicked Play series, when I read it but that story didn’t touch me the way this one did. In many ways this book was much more than just the story as described in the blurb. Yes, we are reading about Kendra who ran from her abuser months ago to find refuge in the same complex where Deklan lives; the way in which he recognizes both the need and the fear in her and helps her to overcome it, while at the same time being forced to deal with issues from his own past. And that is, I guess, a story that has been written before by other authors and will be told by others yet in the future. What made this book special for me is the way in which the author, through her characters, dealt with the issues.

The characters in this book don’t hold on to their issues for dear life, or deny that they have them. They are aware of what they are up against and while they are afraid of letting go of the walls they have built around their hearts to keep themselves from being hurt again, they are brave and real enough to allow those fortifications to slowly crumble. At the same time there were no unrealistic sudden conversions from fear to security, from distrust to trust. This was not the sort of story in which one (very sexy) scene between the two main characters solved all their problems. Kendra and Deklan both have issues to work through and they do, over time. They take it slowly, get to know each other and make mistakes before they get to the point where they’re able to acknowledge their feelings for each other, which rings true.

“And Deklan was showing her what a real Dom could be like. The kind of Dom she wanted. The kind she was slowly coming to admit she needed to keep herself sane.”

I also liked that this book made a clear distinction between Dominance-submission and sadism-masochism; these are not the same. A Sadist is not necessarily a Dom or vice versa and somebody who enjoys being on the receiving end of pain is not always also submissive. This is a distinction that I haven’t seen explained in (m)any books and since it is an important one I was delighted to see it here.

“When it’s done right, it’s all about caring and sharing. About giving each other what we both need and want. Isn’t that the very foundation of love?”

“You’re the one who taught me the difference between hurting and harming. Between play and abuse. Love and control.”

And I haven’t even mentioned how hot this book is. The scenes between Deklan and Kendra are steaming. Whether we’re reading about Deklan spanking or flogging his sub or looking at them having straight sex for the first time, every intimate encounter between these two characters is both arousing and sweet. Some readers may be shocked by the descriptions of corporal “punishment” in this book, but that is exactly what this book is about. The prejudices held by a lot of people when it comes to those who like submitting to or inflicting pain is the basis of the story-line in this book. And if this story helps to change these perceptions for even a few readers, as it could and should, it has made a tremendous achievement.

This book is well written, incredibly sexy and very easy to read. This is an uplifting love story filled with a believable story, realistic dialogue and convincing characters. As I said before: this is a wonderful read.