Dom of Ages by K.C. Wells & Parker Williams: Promo, Review and a Very Special Offer

DOM OF AGES by K.C. Wells & Parker Williams

Pages: 282

Release date: December 21, 2015

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Details: No. 7 Collars & Cuffs

The blurb:

Eli may only be thirty, but he has had enough of pretend submissives. When he spies Jarod in a BDSM club, everything about the man screams submission. So what if Jarod is probably twenty years older than Eli. What does age matter, anyway? All he can see is what he’s always wanted—a sub who wants to serve.

Jarod spent twenty-four years with his Master before Fate took him. Four years on, Jarod is still lost, so when a young Dom takes charge, Jarod rolls with it and finds himself serving again. But he keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop. Because there’s going to come a point when Eli realizes he’s a laughing stock in the club. Who would want to be seen with a fifty-year-old sub?

After several missteps, Eli realizes that in order to find happiness, they will need friends who will understand. At a friend’s insistence, he visits Collars & Cuffs, where they are met with open arms. As they settle in to their new life, Eli begins to see things differently and he dares to think he can have it all. Until a phone call threatens to take it all away….

My thoughts:

It started some time ago, but ever since I was first introduced to the Collars and Cuffs universe and all the men who inhabit it, I’ve been hooked. In fact it’s been more than that. Every single book has seen me fall in love with the main characters in it while the feelings I already had for the men I had met in previous titles grew stronger and deeper.

Dom of Ages is no exception to that rule. I fell as hard and as deeply for Eli and Jarod as I’ve done for all the others. These two men took me for an emotional ride from the first chapter until the very last word. It would have been impossible not to feel Jarod’s pain and despair. Getting older isn’t easy for anyone, but how much harder must it be when you’re part of a culture where youth and beauty appear to set the standard. Especially if you find yourself starting from scratch after a dramatic loss has ended a twenty-four year relationship that was your whole world.

Eli is a far more straightforward or maybe I should say less complex character than Jarod. And that is perfect. Jarod needs that calm in his life; a rock, strong enough to support him and stable enough to ground him when his fears and insecurities threaten to overtake him. And before you think all these qualities might make Eli a boring character, let me reassure you; he is a delight to read about and the most charmingly flawed character I have encountered in a book in a very long time.

When the story starts Jerod is a recluse, convinced his life ended when his Master died and sure he is just too old to ever serve another. What is heartbreaking is that the thought of friendships doesn’t even cross his mind. His journey until he reaches the point where he realises he is valued and loved, not just by Eli but also by the others he meets at Collars and Cuffs, was a pure joy to read.

What I love about this series is that not only does each book focus on a different aspect of BDSM they also deal with more general issues. In this case we’re looking at grief, a twenty year age difference and the frailties with resulting from getting older. And while BDSM may only be a theoretical indulgence for some readers, the other issues are ones we’re all familiar with in one way or another, making it very easy to get wrapped up in the stories and attached to the characters.

It goes without saying that this book, like its predecessors was smoothly written, a captivating read and incredibly hot. Jerod and Eli smoulder together regardless of whether they engage in a ‘simple’—if there is such a thing—kiss or a full blown scene. And those scenes, as always, are vivid and imaginative. Did I mention ‘hot’?

Most of the time I’m not a very emotional reader; I get chocked up at times, but I rarely cry. There was one scene in Dom of Ages during which I had to stop reading because I couldn’t see the words any more for the tears. And strange as it may sound, that wasn’t a scene centred around Jarod and Eli—although they have plenty of very touching scenes too. I’m not going to mention anything else about it except to say that this one scene lifted the book from very good to amazing. I’m convinced all Collars and Cuffs fans are going to be elated after they’ve read this book. And while I’m sad to think that the next one will be the last in the series, I also can’t wait to read it. I’ve got a feeling we’ve just been prepared for a glorious finale.  

Buy links:

Amazon                 Amazon UK            Dreamspinner Press                   ARe

A Very Special Offer

If you haven’t read the Collar & Cuffs books yet, or if you need to catch up with the series, Dreamspinner Press has a not to be missed offer for you. The first six books in the series are only $1 from December 21 – 25.

About the authors:

Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C. WELLS always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way. K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, when the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings--writing about men in love was even hotter.... 

K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career. The laptop still has no idea of what hit it... it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes. 

And as for those men in love that she writes about? The list of stories just waiting to be written is getting longer... and longer....

K.C. loves to hear from readers. 
E-mail: k.c.wells@btinternet.com 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld 
Twitter: @K_C_Wells 
Website: http://www.kcwellsworld.com

***

Parker Williams believes that everyone deserves a chance at happily ever after. He also knows that it seldom comes without a price tag.

He writes men who are flawed, but redeemable by love - usually.

He writes m/m romance in several sub-genres, but one thing remains consistent: Love is power, no matter who you're in love with.

Five Christmas Stories

CHRISTMAS READS

For the first time ever I’ve embarked on a ‘Christmas-story-spree’. Because these stories are often, but not always, short and uncomplicated I’ve decided to talk about these five I’ve recently read in one post. Enjoy! There’s not a bad tale among them. J

CABIN NIGHTS by Ashley John

Pages: 108

Date: November 25, 2015

Details: Christmas Novella

Own / Kindle

The blurb:

“Oxford University student, Ben thinks a skiing holiday in the French Alps is his idea of hell, so when his best friend, Jonny suggests they spend Christmas there he isn’t impressed. Taking to the slopes like Bambi on ice, Ben isn't having much luck, until charming bearded beauty, Cal, comes crashing towards him in a flurry of snow at fifty miles an hour. From the moment Cal offers to help Ben get back on his skis, the attraction is instant and Ben is convinced that a man as perfect as Cal is out of his league. 

Womanizer Jonny wastes no time asking out a girl he meets on the slopes and he makes her promise to bring along a friend to keep Ben occupied that night in the Après-Ski Bar. When that friend turns out to be Cal, he's given the opportunity of a lifetime to wine and dine with a man of model like beauty, with a charismatic personality to match. 

When Cal invites Ben back to his Cabin, they find themselves trapped in an extreme whiteout and with the men forced to spend the Christmas holidays together, they quickly find they are doing more than roasting marshmallows next to the warm and inviting fire.”

My thoughts:

‘Cabin Nights’ is a sweet and very Christmassy read. I mean, what could possibly be more seasonal than being snowed in, having to chop your own Christmas tree and finding love.

Ben on skies made me smile because it brought back memories of the one time I tried my luck on the slopes. I’d love to say I did better than poor Ben, but I’d be lying. Of course it all works out very well for our hero. If it hadn’t been for his poor skills on skies, Cal wouldn’t have crashed into him and….well, you get my drift.

I love Cal as a character and was a bit sorry we only got to see him through Ben’s eyes. I would have loved to ‘hear’ the thoughts running through this fascinating free spirit’s head.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This sweet, sexy and seasonal story is the perfect length to read in one, very satisfying, sitting.      

TWO RUINED CHRISTMAS EVES by Chris McHart

Pages: 31

Date: December 7, 2015

Details: Review Copy

E-Book

The blurb:

It’s Christmas Eve, and folk music star Jonas is on his way to the most important gig of his career, the Volksmusik Stadl. Well, he would be if heavy snowfall hadn’t stopped him on the highway.

Fritz has to accompany his grandparents to the biggest folk music event in southern Germany, the worst punishment for a metal fan, especially on Christmas Eve.

When these two men meet at the concert after-party, sparks fly. Will this Christmas Eve be something special after all?

My thoughts: 

Two ruined Christmas Eves is a charming story. What’s not to love about bringing two disgruntled men together and having them create magic together.

It’s hard not to feel sorry for Jonas. Here’s his big chance at a breakthrough for his music career and literally everything goes wrong for him. Fritz’s issues made me smile, maybe because I’ve found myself in his situation once or twice in the past; being forced to sit through an event featuring music you not only dislike but actively detest can be very grinding.

I love the uncomplicated way in which these two men came together. They’re attracted to each other and act on it. No soul searching, no heavy conversations just an almost irresistible pull and two men more than willing to give in to it. And when they do meet in Fritz’s hotel room they sure know how to heat up a cold and snowy night.

I liked that we were given a glimpse of Fritz and Jonas a year later. They’re still together and Fritz still doesn’t appreciate folk music J It was a perfect ending to a very enjoyable read.

The Christmas Throwaway by RJ Scott

Pages: 73

Date: December 7, 2015

Own / Paperback

The blurb:

Christmas is a time for giving - what do you do when no one gives a damn? 

For Zachary Weston Christmas means sleeping on a churchyard bench in the freezing snow with nothing better in his future. Thrown out of his home for being gay, he is left without money or, it seems, anywhere to go. 

Until a stranger shows him that some people do give a lot more than a damn.

Ben Hamilton is a rookie cop in his small home town. He finds a young throwaway, fresh from the city, sleeping on a bench in the churchyard on a snowy Christmas Eve. Can he be the one to give Zachary his own Christmas miracle?

My thoughts:

This story is heart wrenching and yet utterly beautiful and ultimately uplifting. My heart broke for poor Zach, a few days away from his eighteenth birthday and all alone in the wintery cold. His struggle to learn to trust again after years of abuse and neglect wasn’t always easy to read but glorious in how it depicted his growth.

Ben and his family and friends were like bright stars in a black sky. Giving without expectations they give Zach exactly what he needs and are there when his worst nightmare comes to pass, offering a perfect solution.

Spanning three Christmas’s, this story showed that there are not quick cures but that love will help heal the wounds, no matter how deep they’ve cut. And what’s not to love about a story that ends with a beginning? A wonderful Christmas story but, ultimately a great story to read any time of the year.

Christmas Miracles of a Recently Fallen Spruce by Brandon Witt

Pages: 25

Date: December 7,2015

Details: Dreamspinner Press 2015 Advent Calendar

            package "Sleigh Ride"

Own / E-book

The blurb:

Paxton Peterson’s favorite day of the year is his annual Gay Boy Christmas dinner. He’s checked and double-checked his to-do list, because nothing stresses him out like the unexpected. Confident everything will run smoothly, Paxton embarks on his yearly snowshoed hike through the Rocky Mountains near his home. His perfectly planned evening is cut short by Logan Charles’s careless enjoyment of his brother’s snowmobile, and Paxton is stranded in the woods. It’s the worst thing that could’ve possibly happened to him—or maybe the best. 

My thoughts:

I think this is my favourite Christmas story so far this year, I loved everything about it. First and foremost there’s the original, wonderful and very fitting title; how could I not be tempted?

And then there’s the story itself as told by Paxton Peterson, who could so easily have been annoying with his compulsive behaviour and lack of self-esteem but instead is endearing and sweet. He put a smile on my face the moment I started reading and I didn’t stop smiling until I’d finished his story. What I loved most was that Paxton embraced the opportunity coming his way, even if it did seem too good to be true—almost akin to a dream. He might not be the most confident of people, he is no fool either and grasps what’s on offer only to discover that his Christmas miracle is much bigger than even his dreams dared to suggest.

Beautifully written and an utter delight to read this book and the characters in it stole my heart.

His Heart’s Desire by J.P. Barnaby

Pages: 26

Date: December 7, 2015

Own / E-book

The blurb:

Each century, Father Time selects a new Santa Claus. In return for his service, the lucky St Nick receives his heart’s greatest desire. Unfortunately, Matthew Carpenter is down to his last night as Santa and has no idea what his heart desires. 

My thoughts:

This book was a little charmer. When I think of J.P. Barnaby I think of hart-hitting, heart-wrenching stories, not necessarily of fairytales. Yet that is exactly what this story me reminds of, a delightful tale of wonder, magic and dreams-come-true, with the most inspired of happily-ever-afters.

Original, fun, sweet and sexy His Heart’s Desire was a delightful little read.

RED DIRT CHRISTMAS by N.R. Walker: Book Blast and Review

Red Dirt Christmas by N.R. Walker

Publication date: 11 December 2015

Buylinks: Amazon |All Romance eBooks | Smashwords

Blurb:

Travis had been here for just over a year. We were technically engaged, not that we’d told anyone. He was happy just knowin’ I’d said yes, and I had some head-clearin’ stuff to work through. Knowing I was good enough for Trav was one thing, but knowing if I was good enough to be a husband and father was somethin’ else entirely.

Life at Sutton Station had never been better. Business was strong, Trudy and Bacon’s little baby, Gracie, was a few weeks old now and as cute as a button, Ma’s health was good, and my relationship with Laura and Sam was in a pretty good place. And Travis? Well, life with him was still all kinds of perfect.

But, to Travis’s dismay, Christmas at the Station was just another day. Another day of getting up before the sun, feeding animals, fixin’ what needed fixin’, and checking water troughs all while tryin’ to keep out of the blistering heat.

And this year weren’t much different. Only that it was Travis’s first Sutton Station Christmas. The fact we didn’t go all out with decorations and celebrations baffled him, and if I was bein’ truthful, it disappointed him too.

Which was why I had to make it a special kind of Christmas…

N.R. Walker’s Bio:

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance.
She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don't let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love.

She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She's been writing ever since...

N.R. Walker’s Internet Links:

nrwalker2103@gmail.com               Facebook timeline                  Facebook Page

Twitter: @NR_Walker

Excerpt:

Chapter ONE

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I was muckin’ out the stables with Billy when he stopped and leaned on his shovel. He was lookin’ out to the paddock and grinned his half-a-face smile. “Ah, boss. You might wanna take a look.”

I followed his line of sight and let out a long sufferin’ sigh. “Jesus.”

Billy laughed and I shook my head. We could see Travsmilin’ as he rode the dirt bike into the yard. Strapped onto the seat behind him was a six foot pine tree. He pulled the bike to a stop, and his grin got even wider.

I stared at him. “Trav, what’s that?”

“What does it look like?” he asked, his eyebrows knitting together. “It’s a tree.”

“I can see that.”

“Mr Travis,” Billy said, all concerned-like. “You can’t be cuttin’ them trees down. They special to the Aboriginal people’s culture. Mr Travis, you disrespectin’ our people.”

Travis’s face was priceless. He paled, his eyes went wide, and his mouth fell open. He looked at me for some kind of guidance, and I just shook my head and clicked my tongue. Travis turned back to Billy, close to panicking. “Oh. I didn’t know. Oh my God. I just thought it looked like a Christmas tree and there were plenty of them. Billy, I’m so sorry. I can take it back. I mean, I can’t replant it ‘cause you know.” He looked at the tree on the back of the bike and cringed. “Well, I hacked it off at the ground. God, I’m so sorry. Is there something I should do?”

Billy looked at the tree. “Well, there’s a spirit dance from the Dreamtime. The person who takes the tree needs to do it.”

Travis nodded seriously. “A spirit dance?”

Trav stared at Billy, and I stared at Billy. A spirit dance? I had to give it to Billy. He held it together for about five seconds of absolute silence before he lost it. He burst out laughing, which made me laugh too. “I’m just pullin’ your leg, Travis. There’s no spirit dance,” Billy said, holding his sides as he laughed. His smile was so contagious.

Apparently Travis was immune. He glared at us. “Oh, you sons of bitches. You had me going.” He put his hand to his heart. “Jesus Billy, you scared the crap outta me. I thought I’d broken some traditional Aboriginal code or something!”

Billy just laughed some more. “The look on your face was so funny.”

“I hate the both of you,” Trav said, but he was smiling.

“These trees are like a weed,” Billy said. “Introduced by the white fellas two hundred years ago. They grow fast, but they’re not native.”

“I didn’t think they were.” Travis ran his hand along the fronds of the tethered tree. “But it’s the closest thing to a Christmas tree out here.”

“Christmas tree?” Billy asked. “Not too old for that? Still think Santa Claus climbs down chimneys?”

Travis frowned. He looked at his feet and shifted his weight. His voice was quiet. “No. It was just a tradition in my family. My grandfather would cut down a tree and we’d decorate it as a family. We had special ornaments and there would be a huge dinner and it was kind of a big deal. I just thought maybe… You know what? Never mind.”

Billy knew Travis’s grandfather had died not long ago. “Oh Mr Travis, I didn’t mean anything. I was just jokin’ with ya. Here, let me help you get it off the bike.”

Travis sighed and his frowned deepened, and Billy quickly undid the straps and lifted the tree by himself. “Where do you want it, Mr Travis?”

Trav was lookin’ down at the dirt, and Billy stared at me with wide eyes. “Boss? I didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” he whispered.
I saw the corner of Travis’s lip curl up and I rolled my eyes. “Oh, for shit’s sake. He’s joking, Billy.”

Billy’s eyes shot to Travis, and Travis’s frown became a slow spreading grin. “I’m just pullin’ your leg,” he said with a laugh. “You’re not the only one who can spin one, Billy.”

“Your grandfather never cut down a Christmas tree?”

Travis shook his head, still grinning. “My grandfather would tell everyone we were going to pick a perfect tree, but he’d take me fishing instead and we’d just buy some random tree from a lot on the way home.”

Billy dropped the tree into the dirt and pushed Travis’s shoulder, which of course led to them trying to put each other in a headlock, which was only made more difficult because they were both laughin’ so hard. I looked at Texas, Trav’s horse. Even he didn’t look impressed. He just twitched his ears and swished his tail in a yep-they’re-idiots kind of way. “I know,” I told him. “You have no idea what I have to put up with.”

“Who are you talking to, Charlie?” Travis asked. They’d apparently stopped wrestling and were lookin’ at me.

“Your horse,” I answered seriously. “He thinks you’re both dickheads.”

Travis brushed himself down, though why, I’ll never know. Red dust got into everything here; there weren’t no escapin’ it. “I’ll never get used to the Australian display of affection of calling the people you’re supposed to like horrible names.”

I snorted out a laugh. “You’d think after a year you’d be used to it.”

Billy picked up his shovel and offered it to Trav. “Wanna shovel shit?”

“Um, gee, thanks, but no,” Trav replied, with an I-ain’t-stupid look on his face. “I have a Christmas tree to put up. Considering Christmas is three days away and no one seems to give a shit.”

I lifted up the horseshit covered shovel. “Texas does. Bags of it.”

He rolled his eyes at me and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. “Tell me, how damn hot is it? You know, Christmas should be cold, not one hundred and thirty freakin’ degrees.” Without waitin’ for an answer, he reached behind his head and pulled his T-shirt off. It was one of my old shirts, kinda threadbare, but I didn’t mind him wearin’ it. It clung to his body when he got all sweaty… Nah, I didn’t mind him wearin’ it at all. I minded even less when he took it off. Wearing just his jeans, boots and hat, he wrapped the shirt around the tree and lifted it easily onto one shoulder. I watched as the muscles in his back and arms flexed, all shiny with sweat, the way the red dirt smeared on his skin, and a lucky drop of sweat as it ran from the back of his hair, right down his spine and disappeared where his jeans slung low on his arse.

Jesus.

Billy snapped his fingers in my face. “You in there, boss?”
Travis turned around and, realising I’d been busted totally checkin’ him out, he grinned. And seeing that Billy wasn’t lookin’ at him, Travis licked his lips all suggestive like, and ran his free hand over his abs as he turned to walk out.

I flung horseshit at him.

He didn’t even turn around. He just laughed. As he walked away, he asked, “I can put this in the living room, right?”

“Would it matter what I said?” I called out after him.

His reply was distant as he reached the house. “Nope.”

Billy laughed, and I grumbled as we went back to shovelling shit. When we’d heard the screen door shut, Billy looked up to make sure Travis was gone. “He got no idea what you plannin’, does he, boss?”

I smiled as I kept on shovelin’. “None.”

****

Pages: 54

Date: December 6, 2015

Details: No. 3.5 Red Dirt Heart

             Review copy

E-book

My thoughts:

If I had to summarise my feelings about this book in one word I’d say: delightful. I loved this story. I adored Travis and Charlie and the interactions between them. They are so clearly deeply in love and there’s such a wonderful playfulness to them, I couldn’t stop smiling while I read this story.

I should probably confess that this is my first encounter with the world of Red Dirt Heart although it most definitely won’t be my last. Red Dirt Christmas can easily be read as a stand-alone. There wasn’t a single moment when I thought I was missing something. I got who these men were, and while it was clear they’d been on a journey before they got to this Christmas, not having made the trip with them didn’t make me enjoy their antics any less. It is possible I would have enjoyed this story even more if I had read the earlier books, but considering how much fun this read was, I can’t imagine it would have made a big difference.

I always have a hard time getting my head around Christmas in summer. Christmas in the sweltering heat of Australia’s Outback is even harder to imagine. But despite the story taking place during the ‘wrong’ season it contains the most wonderful Christmas spirit and left me feeling all warm and fuzzy.

Charlie’s present for Travis was inspired and brought both a tear to my eye and a smile to my face; exactly the sort of reaction I’m looking for when I’m reading a seasonal story.

As far as I’m concerned, N.R. Walker hit a home run with Red Dirt Christmas and I’ve got a feeling it won’t be long before I go back to read the rest of this story.

HE'S BEHIND YOU by Rebecca Cohen

HE’S BEHIND YOU by Rebecca Cohen

 

Pages: 140

Date: December 5, 2015

Details: No. 3 Treading the Boards

            Review copy

E-book

The blurb:

It’s panto season for the Sarky Players, an amateur dramatics society based in Greenwich, South London. With the traditional Christmas play around the corner, it’s time to get ready for more larger than life performances—on and off stage.

While Craig Rosen is happy with his quiet life playing Warhammer and working in a university lab, a new colleague thinks he needs more excitement and drags Craig along to an audition for the Christmas pantomime, Aladdin.

Corporate lawyer Jason Carter accepted he’s gay a little later in life than most, but now divorced and in his late thirties, he’s ready to embrace who he really is. He can’t believe his luck when he runs into Craig at the audition and the cute younger man agrees to help him navigate his new life. There’s no doubting the attraction between Craig and Jason, but with Craig’s insecurities and Jason still finding his way, they’ll need to make sure they don’t veer off script. 

My thoughts:

First and foremost; yes, this is the third book in a series and, yes, this works perfectly well as a stand-alone novella. While I’m now curious about the other couples, I didn’t feel as if I missed out on anything due to not having met them before J

This Christmas story doesn’t feature Christmas day, or Christmas Eve for that matter. It does feature a Christmas party, the headache of Christmas presents and, most importantly, the most British (and Irish) of pivotal Christmas events: a pantomime.

I liked the idea of Jason only getting around to embracing his true nature in his late thirties, after a marriage and kids. It gave the story a ‘real-to-life- feel for me. I loved Craig’s double role; insecure as he is, he suddenly finds himself trust into the role of experienced and knowledgeable partner when it comes to his relationship with Jason and it is fair to say it takes him a while to come to terms with it. He doesn’t find it any easier to believe that Jason might really be interested in him. Jason not being very communicative until it’s almost too late, doesn’t help matters at all.

I liked that the story read a bit like a pantomime, with the players being blind to things which were blatantly obvious to the audience / reader. At times the quips between Jason, Craig and some of the others had that borderline vulgarity of pantomime humour to them—although in true pantomime there’s nothing borderline about it of course J

This was a very enjoyable, feel good romance which I mostly read with a broad grin of my face. The one or two more angsty moments were resolved quickly and didn’t interfere with the overall happy feeling of the story. If you’re in the mood for an uplifting, funny and festive story you could do a lot worse than picking up He’s Behind You.

Buy link: 

Dreamspinner | All Romance | Amazon

Bio and Links:

Rebecca Cohen is a Brit abroad. Having swapped the Thames for the Rhine, she has left London behind and now lives with her husband and baby son in Basel, Switzerland. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and a cup of Darjeeling in the other.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | DSP author page | Amazon author page

AN UNLOCKED HEART by K.C. Wells

AN UNLOCKED HEART by K.C. Wells

 

Pages: 298

Date: December 1, 2015

Details: No. 1 Collars & Cuffs

Paperback / Own

The blurb:

Since the death of his submissive lover two years ago, Leo hasn’t been living—merely existing. He focuses on making Collars & Cuffs, a BDSM club in Manchester’s gay village, successful. That changes the night he and his business partner have their weekly meeting at Severinos. Leo can’t keep his eyes off the new server. The shy man seems determined to avoid Leo’s gaze, but that’s like a red rag to a bull. Leo loves a challenge.

Alex Daniels works at Severinos to scrape together the money to move out on his own. He struggles with coming out, but he’s drawn to Leo, the gorgeous guy with the icy-blue eyes who’s been eating in his area nearly every night.

Leo won’t let Alex’s hesitance get in the way. He even keeps him away from the club so as not to scare him. And as for telling Alex that Leo is a Dom? Not a good idea. One date becomes two, but date two leads to Leo’s bedroom… and Alex discovers things about himself he never realized—and never wanted anyone to see.

My thoughts:

Confession time.

The first Collars & Cuffs book I ever read was Dance with Domination, the fourth title in the series. I adored the book and determined to read the prequels as soon as possible. And then other new releases distracted me. I read Damian’s Discipline, Make Me Sour and recently Dom of Ages (review to follow), and still I hadn’t gone back to read the first three books.

As I write this, the authors of these books are working on the last title in the Collars & Cuffs series and I’ve decided that I HAVE to have read all the earlier titles before I reach the end of this amazing story.

It is funny business going back to the first book in a series when you’ve already read later storylines. I know these men, probably better than I should, maybe even better than the authors did when they wrote An Unlocked Heart. Before I started reading I was afraid that might spoil this reading experience for me, but the opposite turned out to be true. The feelings I had while reading this book were those you get when a couple you’ve known for a while decides they know and trust you well enough to tell you all about how they ended up together. By the time they stop talking you feel even closer to them than you did before. And that’s exactly how I felt when I finished reading this book; two characters I’d already grown to love had crawled their way even deeper into my heart.

The blurb tells you all you need to know about the story so I’m going to limit myself to those details that really grabbed me.

Leo has been on his own, with no desire to connect with another man for two years when he sets eyes on Alex. In the hands of a lesser author this might have led to chapter after chapter of soul searching and Leo feeling guilty because he was ‘betraying’ his deceased lover. K.C. Wells gave Leo a different journey. After two years the edge has worn off his grief and while he may not know it yet, he is ready to reconnect and love again. His journey to the moment when he realises he’s found exactly who and what he needs in his life, is a thing of beauty.

Alex’s journey is equally breath-taking. This shy young man blossoms under the influence of Leo’s attention. Submitting to Leo doesn’t diminish Alex; it makes him stronger—grow into himself. It is a gradual, slow, almost imperceptible and yet undeniable process. Alex doesn’t do a 180. He is true to himself all the way throughout the story (and the series), he just becomes comfortable with who he is and watching him get there filled me with joy.

There is a reason I love K.C. Well’s books so much. She strikes exactly the right balance between angst and relief for me. The emotions her characters experience ring true and are recognisable even though these are gay men and I—clearly—am neither gay nor male. J

Oh dear, I’m so caught up in all the feels this book gave me, I’m completely forgetting to mention how incredibly hot it is. Whether Leo and Alex engage in a BDSM scene or tender love making, they smoulder; especially because it’s always obvious it is about more than ‘just’ sex for both of them.

 Without fail, K.C. Wells pulls me into her stories within a page or two and keeps me emerged until I’ve read the very last word. I want to live in the world she created. I want to meet these men and give them hugs. It is time to admit that I have, some time ago, fallen head over heels in love with the men who populate the Collars & Cuffs universe.