Asher is a 38 year old Dom who shies away from relationships but is always looking for a good sub to bend over a table. At his best friend Ollie's bachelor party in Vegas, he meets Danny, a 33 year old drifter, gorgeous but clumsy, who happens to be Ollie's half brother. Asher and Danny hit it off and Asher moves Danny to San Fransisco to live with him. And that's pretty much the end of the plot....and that's okay. This isn't a plot driven story, it's relationship driven. But the relationship ran off the rails and I sit here just shaking my head.
From the beginning, Asher tells us he's a Dom, not just in the bedroom but in life as well. His best friend knows, but for some reason Asher never tells Danny, the potential sub. Danny is a drifter, with no money and no possessions who can't stay in one place all that long. On the face, the two are perfect together for a quick encounter but Danny won't have sex unless he's in a relationship and Asher forces one so he can get a blow job. That's only one of the first unhealthy twists to their relationship.
Asher is obsessive, cold, and possessive, so much he becomes abusive. He insists Danny were attractive clothes but has a temper tantrum when others pay attention to him. He wants to control Danny's every move and push Danny into submitting to pain but not once does he sit down and have an honest discussion with him about what he wants. Apparently Danny is supposed to guess. It becomes clear early on that Danny doesn't get off on a lot of pain.
For his part, Danny won't talk about anything. He's vague about this life and keeps some very important parts secret. He takes what Asher dishes out for reasons that never become clear. It seems his biggest problem is he's too attractive (which produced one of the biggest eye rolls for me).
Add into the confusion are Ollie and his fiancee, whose problems are woven into the story but are never resolved making me wonder why the were there in the first place.
As I began the story and realized it would be light on the BDSM, I was happy as it's not my favorite theme. But I've read enough to believe I can recognize and enjoy a healthy consensual D/s relationship. Everything about this screamed the opposite. I can't recommend it.
From the beginning, Asher tells us he's a Dom, not just in the bedroom but in life as well. His best friend knows, but for some reason Asher never tells Danny, the potential sub. Danny is a drifter, with no money and no possessions who can't stay in one place all that long. On the face, the two are perfect together for a quick encounter but Danny won't have sex unless he's in a relationship and Asher forces one so he can get a blow job. That's only one of the first unhealthy twists to their relationship.
Asher is obsessive, cold, and possessive, so much he becomes abusive. He insists Danny were attractive clothes but has a temper tantrum when others pay attention to him. He wants to control Danny's every move and push Danny into submitting to pain but not once does he sit down and have an honest discussion with him about what he wants. Apparently Danny is supposed to guess. It becomes clear early on that Danny doesn't get off on a lot of pain.
For his part, Danny won't talk about anything. He's vague about this life and keeps some very important parts secret. He takes what Asher dishes out for reasons that never become clear. It seems his biggest problem is he's too attractive (which produced one of the biggest eye rolls for me).
Add into the confusion are Ollie and his fiancee, whose problems are woven into the story but are never resolved making me wonder why the were there in the first place.
As I began the story and realized it would be light on the BDSM, I was happy as it's not my favorite theme. But I've read enough to believe I can recognize and enjoy a healthy consensual D/s relationship. Everything about this screamed the opposite. I can't recommend it.
