Elizabeth Noble (3)

This is a 3.5 star read for me. In some ways I really enjoyed the characters. I thought the story was interesting and it had an intriguing mystery, but there were moments where I felt a little disconnected from the relationship. It felt like it went a bit fast without me really having the connection between them or the backstory to really understand how their relationship went from 0-100 in the span of 1 day, especially during such a traumatic time. Rylan and Brett have known each other for years, but there was never anything between them. I get how they were close and pulled together due to the death of Celia, and I could understand coming together in that time. But I didn't get the impression there was even a previous crush with either of them, so to jump to falling head over heels in love with the other seemed a bit quick. I think I just needed a little more emotional connection between them to feel it. That aside, though, I did like how Brett and Rylan both had what the other needed, and were able to come together. There was a lot of BDSM, and it was a good match for both of the guys.

There were moments that really evoked emotions, and I thought that was very well written. The memories of Celia, the tribute to her, and the guys emotional journey was beautiful. I had tears for sure, and these were some of my favorite parts of the book.

I am voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by the author
… (mehr)

I liked this variation on a master/slave relationship because it looks at a situation where the structure of slave versus master is dictated by society, rather than what the participants want. Seeing two men come together who have no choice about the 'official' way of how they interact was fascinating, because the difference to the actual interaction provided some real tension. Todd's fear of being caught for treating Nick as an equal (as much as possible) was just as real as Nick's fear of having his life in the hands of another man; one he doesn't even know all that well.

All of that being said, Nick and Todd still end up in sexually dominant/submissive roles. While the sex was hot, I was a little disappointed that Elizabeth Noble didn't take the concept of 'unwanted slavery' further. But then, maybe that was too much to ask in the first book? Maybe it was a step too far for them to take that quickly? Or maybe the message is that their sexual behavior depends entirely on societal expectations? That, I must admit, would really annoy me as a conclusion. However, we are not there yet. This is the first book in a series, and one that promises to be interesting for many reasons. So I will keep reading to see where this ends up.

If you like to read about potential future societies, and are interested in the effects of slavery condoned by society on humans on both sides of the master/slave equation, you may like this book.… (mehr)