Hot story, uneven narration

I want to start this review by mentioning the narration. I encourage you to listen to the sample. Austin Kincaid’s cadence is…different. He doesn’t pause between sentences and that makes the pacing uneven. I promised to write a review, though, so I persevered through the audio. I don’t know if the narration got better, or I got used to it, but about halfway through it wasn’t bothering me nearly as much. In the end, I was able to get past it and simply enjoy the story.

I love BDSM and am always game for another book. This story is set in the world of Lobster Cove, a little sleepy tourist town. Red Club has become a tourist attraction in and of itself, attracting regulars, the lookie-loos, and everyone in between. Jessie is the owner of the club. Raised by her dominant mother, she was groomed to take over the club, doing it upon her mother’s untimely death. In her public life she is no-nonsense, hard working, and doesn’t take any bull. In her private life, she yearns to submit. But not just to any man. She tried once before and it didn’t work because her lover didn’t believe in delineation. As far as he was concerned, she had to submit in every way. For an independent and fiery woman, that didn’t work. Jessie doesn’t need a master and a 24/7 relationship – she needs a dominant in the bedroom to make all her fantasies come true.

Enter Caleb Drake. The boy who broke her heart, and left town in disgrace. He’s back, and has been sent to Club Red to find out the secret to its success. He applies for a job and Jessie’s happy to hire him as a dungeon monitor. He comes with impeccable credentials and a great reference. He’s a good team player and he proves his worth. When he offers Jessie a sexual and D/s relationship, she agrees. She’s laid out her boundaries and he’s respectful. Then she discovers he’s a spy, and her heart is broken all over again. The question is whether she can forgive him and whether he’s open to making a home in Lobster Cove.

This is a good story, but I just want to mention one thing. There are a lot of consent violations in this short book. I know dungeon monitors who’ve been doing this for twenty years and have seen very few, if any, consent violations. These aren’t regular occurrences. That being said, they were handled well, and there was a feeling of authenticity to the story. Setting aside the narration, the book was good and I enjoyed it. Like I said, once I got used to the narration, that wasn’t so bad in the end.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!