Adam's prequel 4.5 stars ~The rest of the book 3.5 stars
I've had this series in my TBR pile for quite sometime, so when I finally decided to read it I was uber excited because of all of the positive reviews. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a let down but Master Adam was there to comfort me :-)
I loved, LOVED, Adam's prequel. It's a slippery slope when an author introduces a budding May-Dec. relationship when the girl is underage, but Kallypso wrote it beautifully. She established an innocent and realistic connection between Adam and Karla without crossing any lines. At 16, Karla was sweet, naive, impulsive, and in serious need of saving - exactly what Adam needed to pull him back from the edge he was teetering on after his wife's death. Although dealing with the emotions of a teenage girl made this Marine shake in his boots, the kid gloves with which he handled her made my heart flutter. I can't wait to see how their relationship progresses, but as the "anchor" character of the series it would have made more sense for Adam's book to be next.
Damian's story didn't tug on my heart strings like Adam's, but I did like it. He and Savi's time together was beautiful and memorable because of all that she suffered. She is that special blend of heroine that I root for – a heaping cup of strength with a dash of vulnerability. Initially, I had difficulty connecting with Damian’s character because he seemed nothing more than a vessel for Savi’s ordeal to be told. However, as the story progressed, he finally made a blip on my emotional radar as he suffered through his own trauma. On the sexier side of things, he is definitely a candidate for my "Dirty Talker" Hall of Fame. So, despite the slow start, Master Damian has all of the tools to melt a girl’s heart.
And finally there’s Marc. I desperately wanted to like him, but he never seemed more than a secondary character lurking in the background. His story compared to Adam’s and Damian’s was weak. While they dealt with traumatic life altering events, Marc’s fiancée’s betrayal and family issues lacked the same emotional punch. With such meager offerings in the plot department, Kallypso will need to pull a rabbit out of her literary hat to make his book work.
So, a little rough around the edges, but a nice start to a promising series. The Doms at the Masters at Arms are definitely worth getting to know.