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Boundaries #2
Against the Rules
Kelly O'Connor's out of control
An RA at Halton University, he spends his off nights at a club, hoping to find what he’s looking for in rough sex with strangers.
Until one night the play gets a little too rough. An isolated room, a dangerous situation...and an unexpected rescue.
Ian Rankin knows what Kelly wants—a true Dom, someone who will protect him instead of using him, someone who can take him to the edge without pushing him into unsafe territory.
Ian knows just what Kelly needs, and he's the only man who can give it to him.
There's only one problem: Kelly is a student, and Ian is a teacher.
An RA at Halton University, he spends his off nights at a club, hoping to find what he’s looking for in rough sex with strangers.
Until one night the play gets a little too rough. An isolated room, a dangerous situation...and an unexpected rescue.
Ian Rankin knows what Kelly wants—a true Dom, someone who will protect him instead of using him, someone who can take him to the edge without pushing him into unsafe territory.
Ian knows just what Kelly needs, and he's the only man who can give it to him.
There's only one problem: Kelly is a student, and Ian is a teacher.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2016
11 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 29, 2016
I have mixed feelings about this book.
Against the Rules, which can be read as a standalone, is an easy read, and I was definitely interested in the MCs and their relationship. I didn't want to put the book down, which is always a plus. I liked the sweet HEA ending, although I wasn't sure the MCs had done enough work to earn it.
Kelly, a college senior just a few weeks away from graduation, is into pain. He lost both his parents in the last year, and his aunts are trying to run his life. Kelly allows others to use him and tell him how to live his life.
Ian is a professor and a self-proclaimed Dom, but this is not a student/teacher romance. Ian is 29 to Kelly's 22, and Ian is not Kelly's professor. Kelly doesn't even take classes in Ian's department.
As soon as Ian meets Kelly, he wants to keep him safe. He claims he doesn't date students, but he shows up at the dorm where Kelly is a residents' assistant. Kelly is mouthy and resistant, but Ian keeps telling him he can make him feel good. I almost felt like Ian was pushing Kelly initially, although that dynamic became more balanced as the two got to know each other.
I had a big issue with the way BDSM (if you can even call it that) was handled in this story. Kelly is into rough sex and pain, and Ian gives him a safeword, but they don't really sit down and discuss their relationship and expectations. Kelly keeps telling Ian he doesn't have limits, and Ian doesn't do enough to set boundaries.
Ian isn't Kelly's Dom, and Kelly is no submissive. There is one scene where Ian blindfolds Kelly and spanks him. There's also a summary of scenes the men have done, but none of them are on page.
There was a whipping scene at the end that was wrong on so many levels. What prompted this scene was Kelly acting like an impulsive, reckless idiot (because his aunt tried to push him into something he didn't want to do) and rushing off to a dangerous biker bar where he's rescued by Ian and Nick. Ian then decides to punish Kelly and does so in anger.
The last few chapters were hella melodramatic; too many plot points were crammed in there, all of which were resolved too easily.
I did wish the MCs the very best, and I liked seeing Nick and Jesse again, but there were just too many WTF moments I couldn't ignore. Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up.
Against the Rules, which can be read as a standalone, is an easy read, and I was definitely interested in the MCs and their relationship. I didn't want to put the book down, which is always a plus. I liked the sweet HEA ending, although I wasn't sure the MCs had done enough work to earn it.
Kelly, a college senior just a few weeks away from graduation, is into pain. He lost both his parents in the last year, and his aunts are trying to run his life. Kelly allows others to use him and tell him how to live his life.
Ian is a professor and a self-proclaimed Dom, but this is not a student/teacher romance. Ian is 29 to Kelly's 22, and Ian is not Kelly's professor. Kelly doesn't even take classes in Ian's department.
As soon as Ian meets Kelly, he wants to keep him safe. He claims he doesn't date students, but he shows up at the dorm where Kelly is a residents' assistant. Kelly is mouthy and resistant, but Ian keeps telling him he can make him feel good. I almost felt like Ian was pushing Kelly initially, although that dynamic became more balanced as the two got to know each other.
I had a big issue with the way BDSM (if you can even call it that) was handled in this story. Kelly is into rough sex and pain, and Ian gives him a safeword, but they don't really sit down and discuss their relationship and expectations. Kelly keeps telling Ian he doesn't have limits, and Ian doesn't do enough to set boundaries.
Ian isn't Kelly's Dom, and Kelly is no submissive. There is one scene where Ian blindfolds Kelly and spanks him. There's also a summary of scenes the men have done, but none of them are on page.
There was a whipping scene at the end that was wrong on so many levels. What prompted this scene was Kelly acting like an impulsive, reckless idiot (because his aunt tried to push him into something he didn't want to do) and rushing off to a dangerous biker bar where he's rescued by Ian and Nick. Ian then decides to punish Kelly and does so in anger.
The last few chapters were hella melodramatic; too many plot points were crammed in there, all of which were resolved too easily.
I did wish the MCs the very best, and I liked seeing Nick and Jesse again, but there were just too many WTF moments I couldn't ignore. Closer to 2.5 stars, rounded up.
did-not-finish
June 8, 2016DNF at 54%
I wasn't interested in what happened at all. And I had a very hard time connecting with either Kelly or Ian.
Some things just felt weird to me.
What kind of Dom wants to test his sub’s limits by biting him hard enough to draw blood?
I wasn't interested in what happened at all. And I had a very hard time connecting with either Kelly or Ian.
Some things just felt weird to me.
What kind of Dom wants to test his sub’s limits by biting him hard enough to draw blood?
June 25, 2016
I remember hating Kelly with a vengeance in the first book. But I wanted to read this book anyway because Out of Bounds was ok.
Still hate him.
Still hate him.
Read
August 15, 2021I rarely DNF books, but in the case of Against the Rules, I read to around 45%, set it aside for a few days, and realized that I was actually dreading continuing the book.
There are a number of reasons for my DNF. Kelly was a secondary character in Out of Bounds (OOB) and while he definitely was (and continues to be) a jerk, he seems like a different character entirely in Against the Rules (ATR). Toward the end of OOB, we read very briefly (a few lines) that Kelly is having family trouble and the death of a parent. When he reappears in ATR, he is into no limits BDSM and is rescued by Ian Larkin, a professor we also met briefly in OOB.
Larkin is obsessed with keeping Kelly safe, because of something that happened to a former sub years ago, which is alluded to often but hasn't been revealed yet. At this point in the book, it's difficult to take him seriously as a dom, because all we know of his background is him mentioning his beloved bullwhip .... and dressing in black leather a lot.
Also, we have experienced the "magical" power of BDSM - helping Kelly to sleep at night and stop arguing with his family. The BDSM doesn't feel real in this book - it's more the means to an end - "cure" Kelly, keep him safe, and let Ian lay to rest his demons. Also, it's unsettling how Ian manages to turn every conversation to BDSM, and most of his internal dialog is about keeping Kelly safe with BDSM, and making him his boy (although they barely know each other).
At this point, the cons outweigh the pros for Against the Rules. Sorry.
I received an ARC of Against the Rules from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
There are a number of reasons for my DNF. Kelly was a secondary character in Out of Bounds (OOB) and while he definitely was (and continues to be) a jerk, he seems like a different character entirely in Against the Rules (ATR). Toward the end of OOB, we read very briefly (a few lines) that Kelly is having family trouble and the death of a parent. When he reappears in ATR, he is into no limits BDSM and is rescued by Ian Larkin, a professor we also met briefly in OOB.
Larkin is obsessed with keeping Kelly safe, because of something that happened to a former sub years ago, which is alluded to often but hasn't been revealed yet. At this point in the book, it's difficult to take him seriously as a dom, because all we know of his background is him mentioning his beloved bullwhip .... and dressing in black leather a lot.
Also, we have experienced the "magical" power of BDSM - helping Kelly to sleep at night and stop arguing with his family. The BDSM doesn't feel real in this book - it's more the means to an end - "cure" Kelly, keep him safe, and let Ian lay to rest his demons. Also, it's unsettling how Ian manages to turn every conversation to BDSM, and most of his internal dialog is about keeping Kelly safe with BDSM, and making him his boy (although they barely know each other).
At this point, the cons outweigh the pros for Against the Rules. Sorry.
I received an ARC of Against the Rules from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my blog, Sinfully Good Gay Book Reviews
June 3, 2016
Kelly O'Connell is a senior in college and about to graduate. He's doing well in his classes and is a resident assistant in the dorms. On the outside he appears to be doing well. Inside he's falling apart due to his parent's deaths. Kelly seeks to find comfort in anonymous hook-ups and rough sex with strangers. One night Kelly gets himself into a bad situation and he draws the attention of Ian Rankin who is a professor at the college. Ian helps Kelly out and finds himself attracted to the young man and eager to protect him from future harm.
The book itself was written fine and did not have any major issues technically. I just really had a hard time with the plot. I found it totally unbelievable and I did not like the use of BDSM as a tool to help someone with their mental health issues. Kelly did not need spankings, he needed to go to a grief counselor, Kelly's character in general did not make sense to me. He made all kinds of serious decisions on a day to day basis for school and work yet couldn't make simple, basic ones in his personal life. I didn't understand how he could turn his functioning on and off from scene to scene. Ian's character was a little bit better but his main purpose was to serve as savior to Kelly's mess and that as a plot device doesn't work for me. Neither the characters or their relationship were well developed and it was very much a case of insta-love. The two men had horrible communication and I can't stand that, especially in a BDSM book. There were also a couple of scenes that I found to be so over the top I'm sure my eyes rolled. (ie taking an Indiana Jones bullwhip to a bar fight)
This was a book that wasn't poorly written but the plot was just really not for me.
April 2, 2016
Boundaries book 2
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I was really looking forward to this, Kelly's story. My expectations were probably too high and while I really liked it, I didn't love it as much as the first book.
Kelly has had a really tough time of it and is still reeling from everything that's happened, he's been getting himself into more and more dangerous situations so that he can forget for a while. Ian comes along and saves him from one of those dangerous situations, realises what is going on and vows to help Kelly and keep him safe.
I enjoyed the relationship between them, it was understandably slow and tentative with both of them still wary because of past experiences but it was lovely to watch their relationship develop and them fall in love.
So what didn't I love? The resolution of Kelly's problems happened a little too quickly for me, it just felt kind of rushed at the end. That said I was glad to see them get their HEA and I'm hoping for a little love to come Chi Chi's way next.
*Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I was really looking forward to this, Kelly's story. My expectations were probably too high and while I really liked it, I didn't love it as much as the first book.
Kelly has had a really tough time of it and is still reeling from everything that's happened, he's been getting himself into more and more dangerous situations so that he can forget for a while. Ian comes along and saves him from one of those dangerous situations, realises what is going on and vows to help Kelly and keep him safe.
I enjoyed the relationship between them, it was understandably slow and tentative with both of them still wary because of past experiences but it was lovely to watch their relationship develop and them fall in love.
So what didn't I love? The resolution of Kelly's problems happened a little too quickly for me, it just felt kind of rushed at the end. That said I was glad to see them get their HEA and I'm hoping for a little love to come Chi Chi's way next.
*Received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
December 6, 2018
3.5 stars... liked this one, didn't love it. Enjoyed seeing Jesse and Nick from book one, too :)
June 7, 2016
I couldn't get into this book. My reasons:
1. I didn't think the teacher/student relationship was handled well- if at all. It wasn't issue- which it should've been.
2. I didn't connect with the main characters.
3. Granted I don't read many BDSM books- but the whole BDSM aspect of the story was OTT and unrealistic.
4. My biggest complain though- the lack of communication drove me bunkers. I can't stand too much miscommunication.
I wish that I had better feedback but this book and I didn't gel. 2 Stars.
1. I didn't think the teacher/student relationship was handled well- if at all. It wasn't issue- which it should've been.
2. I didn't connect with the main characters.
3. Granted I don't read many BDSM books- but the whole BDSM aspect of the story was OTT and unrealistic.
4. My biggest complain though- the lack of communication drove me bunkers. I can't stand too much miscommunication.
I wish that I had better feedback but this book and I didn't gel. 2 Stars.
June 24, 2016
I’ve read some pretty amazing BDSM novels over the years, ranging from a subtler domestic discipline, to the drawing of psychological and physical safe zones (Tymber Dalton’s The Reluctant Dom), to some hardcore nasty in-your-face humiliation BDSM (John Preston’s Mr. Benson). Reading a few fiction books that include a BDSM relationship doesn’t make me an expert on the subject of dominance and submission, obviously, so within my admittedly limited knowledge of the lifestyle, I have to say that A.R. Barley’s Against the Rules wasn’t convincing to me as a healthy or believable fictional BDSM relationship. Instead, it reads more like the Alpha Male trope that often passes for D/s in the romance genre.
Ian Larkin is the older man in the story. Twenty-nine-year-old Ian is a teacher of economics at Halton University. He has one hard and fast rule—No. Dating. Students. That rule doesn’t take more than a few pages to be broken, though…sort of. Ian rescues a student who’s got himself into a bit of trouble in a nightclub bathroom, and falls immediately in lust with the blond haired, blue eyed “Prince Charming.” Ian senses that Kelly O’Connor is in need of some serious discipline, and he wars internally over his suitability to be that Dom—we gradually discover that Ian has fled from a past event where he’d failed his submissive, and now he suffers from the residual guilt of his decision.
Kelly is twenty-two-years-old, and a hot mess, and I said “sort of” a student above because while Kelly is enrolled at the university, he’s not Ian’s student. Plus, he’s an adult, so I’m not sure how relevant the whole teacher/student rule even is to this storyline, other than it was an effort to create something taboo that really isn’t.
At times Kelly reads much older and more mature than his years, while at others, he seems to process emotions and events that have happened to him in a way that didn’t feel suited to his age at all—sometimes he behaves in ways that just come off as bizarre and inexplicable, but the overarching sense of the man is that he’s emotionally immature. And the way he comes around to the decision that he wants to be dominated, that he likes his sex on the rough side, wasn’t what I’d call a healthy progression or exploration of sexual submission, nor was I convinced that Ian should have been the Dom to take Kelly on. There was too little of what I understand is an integral part of the Dom/sub dynamic—the communication that must come beforehand, whether the arrangement is romantic in nature or not—which led to the unfortunate lack of plausibility or investment in their relationship for me. It all boils down to the fact that a few growls, your ass is mine, and a little slap and tickle don’t make for a true BDSM relationship as far as I’m concerned, not even in fiction, and I never came to a point in this story where I felt these two men had any sort of chemistry or connection to build a future on.
Not to mention the climax of the story left me staggered by the manufacturing of it for the sake of added melodrama (it does play well against Kelly’s emotional immaturity, though). The problem is I had a hard time reconciling Kelly’s reasons for going off half-cocked. Again, he’s an adult, so why he felt it necessary to even entertain his aunt and the rest of his family’s suggestions was kind of beyond me, when a simple “Nope” would’ve sufficed. Maybe that says more about my own pigheadedness than anything else, though.
While I know there are some readers out there who are going to connect with this couple on every level, and who will empathize with Kelly (which I did to a certain degree in the end), Against the Rules just didn’t work for me, not as a believable D/s relationship nor as a believable any-sort-of-relationship, period.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
Ian Larkin is the older man in the story. Twenty-nine-year-old Ian is a teacher of economics at Halton University. He has one hard and fast rule—No. Dating. Students. That rule doesn’t take more than a few pages to be broken, though…sort of. Ian rescues a student who’s got himself into a bit of trouble in a nightclub bathroom, and falls immediately in lust with the blond haired, blue eyed “Prince Charming.” Ian senses that Kelly O’Connor is in need of some serious discipline, and he wars internally over his suitability to be that Dom—we gradually discover that Ian has fled from a past event where he’d failed his submissive, and now he suffers from the residual guilt of his decision.
Kelly is twenty-two-years-old, and a hot mess, and I said “sort of” a student above because while Kelly is enrolled at the university, he’s not Ian’s student. Plus, he’s an adult, so I’m not sure how relevant the whole teacher/student rule even is to this storyline, other than it was an effort to create something taboo that really isn’t.
At times Kelly reads much older and more mature than his years, while at others, he seems to process emotions and events that have happened to him in a way that didn’t feel suited to his age at all—sometimes he behaves in ways that just come off as bizarre and inexplicable, but the overarching sense of the man is that he’s emotionally immature. And the way he comes around to the decision that he wants to be dominated, that he likes his sex on the rough side, wasn’t what I’d call a healthy progression or exploration of sexual submission, nor was I convinced that Ian should have been the Dom to take Kelly on. There was too little of what I understand is an integral part of the Dom/sub dynamic—the communication that must come beforehand, whether the arrangement is romantic in nature or not—which led to the unfortunate lack of plausibility or investment in their relationship for me. It all boils down to the fact that a few growls, your ass is mine, and a little slap and tickle don’t make for a true BDSM relationship as far as I’m concerned, not even in fiction, and I never came to a point in this story where I felt these two men had any sort of chemistry or connection to build a future on.
Not to mention the climax of the story left me staggered by the manufacturing of it for the sake of added melodrama (it does play well against Kelly’s emotional immaturity, though). The problem is I had a hard time reconciling Kelly’s reasons for going off half-cocked. Again, he’s an adult, so why he felt it necessary to even entertain his aunt and the rest of his family’s suggestions was kind of beyond me, when a simple “Nope” would’ve sufficed. Maybe that says more about my own pigheadedness than anything else, though.
While I know there are some readers out there who are going to connect with this couple on every level, and who will empathize with Kelly (which I did to a certain degree in the end), Against the Rules just didn’t work for me, not as a believable D/s relationship nor as a believable any-sort-of-relationship, period.
Reviewed by Lisa for The Novel Approach Reviews
June 6, 2016
My Review:
Wow. We got to meet Kelly in the first book in this series, and I knew he had issues, but I didn't realize just how broken he is. A.R. Barley did a fantastic job showing his pain and grief through this story. Kelly broke my heart, but thank goodness he found Ian when he did...before he got seriously injured which is exactly where he was headed.
Kelly was the hero in the first book. A responsible RA and senior on campus, he found Jesse and put him in with Nick, the big, bad, gay bouncer who could make the abused sophomore feel safe. There were hints in that first book that Kelly had some ghosts to exorcise. Kelly lost both his parents over the summer before his senior year in college. While he's dealing overall, his grief is powerful stuff. When it gets to be too much he tries to escape through kink...kink that he really doesn't know enough about to be playing with. But he NEEDS the escape. It's the only way he can sleep. That's where Ian finds Kelly...about to get seriously hurt in a scene.
Ian is a Dom, not looking to get involved with a student. As a professor that wouldn't be good, but he can't walk away from Kelly's obvious need and vulnerability and a relationship between the two develops. But Ian's identity as a Dom has issues, too. He has a history which makes him second guess himself about the choices he makes with his untried sub.
Overall, I really thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was hot and sexy, but even more than that the relationship is based on a mutual need and respect that I enjoyed reading. Kelly's backstory is tragic and my heart wept for him. I wish that Ian had had the time to really delve into his back story with Kelly and I wish there had been better communication between the two about BDSM and exactly how it all should work. I don't feel like Kelly was informed enough about safe and consensual and what exactly that all means. He was simply searching for a heavy emotional outlet and that is so dangerous. While all of that was brushed upon, I wish that someone had really set him down and laid it all out (and maybe that did happen at the end off the page...I know there was mention of talks with Chi-Chi's friend...but as a reader, I would have liked to have seen that happen on the page.)
I liked where the story went and how everything was sorted in the end...the house situation made me very happy. There were a few minor niggles through the story, but overall this is one that I would definitely recommend to others because I did enjoy reading it a lot. I loved Kelly and getting to see his relationship evolve with Ian pushed all my happy buttons.
Note: this book was a five-star read all the way for me, until a scene at the end. I won't talk about specifics because I don't want to post any spoilers, but something about how out of control things got just made me very uncomfortable as a reader. I know that both characters realized the danger, too...after the fact. And the characters are supposed to be human...flaws and all, but that just took things a little too close to the edge for me...away from consensual BDSM to abuse and I dropped my rating a star because of it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Wow. We got to meet Kelly in the first book in this series, and I knew he had issues, but I didn't realize just how broken he is. A.R. Barley did a fantastic job showing his pain and grief through this story. Kelly broke my heart, but thank goodness he found Ian when he did...before he got seriously injured which is exactly where he was headed.
Kelly was the hero in the first book. A responsible RA and senior on campus, he found Jesse and put him in with Nick, the big, bad, gay bouncer who could make the abused sophomore feel safe. There were hints in that first book that Kelly had some ghosts to exorcise. Kelly lost both his parents over the summer before his senior year in college. While he's dealing overall, his grief is powerful stuff. When it gets to be too much he tries to escape through kink...kink that he really doesn't know enough about to be playing with. But he NEEDS the escape. It's the only way he can sleep. That's where Ian finds Kelly...about to get seriously hurt in a scene.
Ian is a Dom, not looking to get involved with a student. As a professor that wouldn't be good, but he can't walk away from Kelly's obvious need and vulnerability and a relationship between the two develops. But Ian's identity as a Dom has issues, too. He has a history which makes him second guess himself about the choices he makes with his untried sub.
Overall, I really thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was hot and sexy, but even more than that the relationship is based on a mutual need and respect that I enjoyed reading. Kelly's backstory is tragic and my heart wept for him. I wish that Ian had had the time to really delve into his back story with Kelly and I wish there had been better communication between the two about BDSM and exactly how it all should work. I don't feel like Kelly was informed enough about safe and consensual and what exactly that all means. He was simply searching for a heavy emotional outlet and that is so dangerous. While all of that was brushed upon, I wish that someone had really set him down and laid it all out (and maybe that did happen at the end off the page...I know there was mention of talks with Chi-Chi's friend...but as a reader, I would have liked to have seen that happen on the page.)
I liked where the story went and how everything was sorted in the end...the house situation made me very happy. There were a few minor niggles through the story, but overall this is one that I would definitely recommend to others because I did enjoy reading it a lot. I loved Kelly and getting to see his relationship evolve with Ian pushed all my happy buttons.
Note: this book was a five-star read all the way for me, until a scene at the end. I won't talk about specifics because I don't want to post any spoilers, but something about how out of control things got just made me very uncomfortable as a reader. I know that both characters realized the danger, too...after the fact. And the characters are supposed to be human...flaws and all, but that just took things a little too close to the edge for me...away from consensual BDSM to abuse and I dropped my rating a star because of it.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 25, 2016
*4.25 stars*
I'm actually quite impressed with the quality of writing and the storytelling in this book. I think one of my favorite things is the complexity and multiple layers of the characters. Both Kelly and Ian were relatively easy to relate to; I'm saying relatively easy because I don't exactly have a penchant for biting and ass spanking that leaves bruises, nor do I find enjoyment in doing that to other people. However, I easily understood where Kelly's need for pain and sexual domination came from.
We know from the previous book that Kelly is struggling to overcome the death of his mother and father, and we also know that his needs caused his relationship with Nick to crumble. But we didn't actually get to know Kelly personally, we didn't get a glimpse into his thoughts and feelings...until now. Kelly is emotionally destroyed by the death of his mother, the pain he's feeling is vicious and bone-deep. Honestly, that boy is a mess! He's taking risky chances with questionable men in a blind chase for some physical pain to take his focus away from this emotional pain that just won't go away.
If you're reading this book expecting a regular BDSM relationship, you'll be disappointed. Kelly is not a sub, there's no protocol, whips or chains, no torture, none of that stuff we're used to from the traditional BDSM books. Kelly mostly needs someone to take control of his sex life, someone to make him fly, to hurt him a little bit, someone to roughly fuck him into the mattress, so that he can escape his nightmares and his struggles for a little while. He just wants to FORGET!
Ian is a professor at the same university Kelly attends, and while Ian has serious rules against dating a student, Kelly is not literally his student and he's a few months away from graduation. After rescuing Kelly from a dangerous situation, Ian can't stop thinking about Kelly. I thought they jumped a little too fast in the whole relationship thing, but I have to appreciate that Ian's job didn't stand in his way of pursuing a serious relationship with Kelly. Things between them heated up pretty fast, and while their slightly kinky play didn't fare well for Kelly's silk ties, it did wonders for his state of mind. I really liked them together, they were pretty much perfectly suited for each other.
I would've gladly given this book 5 stars if it wasn't for the misunderstanding and lack of communication that happened in the last 25% of the book. It caused Ian and Kelly to separate for a few weeks and I didn't like that too much; and I can't take lack of communication between the characters unless they're some immature teenagers who don't know any better. Aside from that, this book was truly great! I can't wait for Chi Chi's book!!!
I'm actually quite impressed with the quality of writing and the storytelling in this book. I think one of my favorite things is the complexity and multiple layers of the characters. Both Kelly and Ian were relatively easy to relate to; I'm saying relatively easy because I don't exactly have a penchant for biting and ass spanking that leaves bruises, nor do I find enjoyment in doing that to other people. However, I easily understood where Kelly's need for pain and sexual domination came from.
We know from the previous book that Kelly is struggling to overcome the death of his mother and father, and we also know that his needs caused his relationship with Nick to crumble. But we didn't actually get to know Kelly personally, we didn't get a glimpse into his thoughts and feelings...until now. Kelly is emotionally destroyed by the death of his mother, the pain he's feeling is vicious and bone-deep. Honestly, that boy is a mess! He's taking risky chances with questionable men in a blind chase for some physical pain to take his focus away from this emotional pain that just won't go away.
If you're reading this book expecting a regular BDSM relationship, you'll be disappointed. Kelly is not a sub, there's no protocol, whips or chains, no torture, none of that stuff we're used to from the traditional BDSM books. Kelly mostly needs someone to take control of his sex life, someone to make him fly, to hurt him a little bit, someone to roughly fuck him into the mattress, so that he can escape his nightmares and his struggles for a little while. He just wants to FORGET!
Ian is a professor at the same university Kelly attends, and while Ian has serious rules against dating a student, Kelly is not literally his student and he's a few months away from graduation. After rescuing Kelly from a dangerous situation, Ian can't stop thinking about Kelly. I thought they jumped a little too fast in the whole relationship thing, but I have to appreciate that Ian's job didn't stand in his way of pursuing a serious relationship with Kelly. Things between them heated up pretty fast, and while their slightly kinky play didn't fare well for Kelly's silk ties, it did wonders for his state of mind. I really liked them together, they were pretty much perfectly suited for each other.
I would've gladly given this book 5 stars if it wasn't for the misunderstanding and lack of communication that happened in the last 25% of the book. It caused Ian and Kelly to separate for a few weeks and I didn't like that too much; and I can't take lack of communication between the characters unless they're some immature teenagers who don't know any better. Aside from that, this book was truly great! I can't wait for Chi Chi's book!!!
April 20, 2017
The relationship between Kelly and Ian seemed liked the watermark on fancy paper. It is too transparent and lacks substance. I liked both characters but they didn't spend enough time TALKING and getting to know each other.
May 6, 2016
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited for this book, and it just didn’t work for me at all. I really enjoyed the first book in the series‐ it was fluffy and sweet and very readable. And I was intrigued by the premise‐ college professor Ian rescues college student Kelly one night at a club, when Kelly gets in trouble looking for some rough fun. Ian has a personal rule against dating students, but he finds that he can’t make himself walk away from Kelly. The idea of the semi‐forbidden relationship sounded exciting.
But… no.
So, this is a book about a BDSM relationship. And I will say, in all honesty, that I’m exceptionally picky about what BDSM I’ll read. It’s not my thing. I do read it, quite frequently, though‐ if you can write something well, I’m not going to hold it against the book because I personally am not interested in it. Right off the bat, it was pretty clear that this type of relationship, while not as weird as some of the BDSM I’ve read, wasn’t for me. Maybe if someone was more into BDSM, they’d like this book better than I did? But, again, I’ve read a lot of things that would, personally, make me beyond comfortable, and enjoyed them. This, I didn’t.
So, I really wasn’t into the power dynamics between Ian and Kelly. And a lot of that was personal preference, but if that had been all it was, I would have (and have in the past) gotten over it. But the dynamics in this relationship were… illogical? Ian always had all the control‐ he was the one who decided what he and Kelly would do‐ from sex right down to what they’d eat‐, he tells Kelly when he needed to be punished for things, he doesn’t ask Kelly before he does things to him, he was always the one in control. And that was okay… BDSM relationship. I get it. But because he was older than Kelly, and because he was a professor and thus in a position of power over Kelly to begin with, it made me uncomfortable. And it just felt… incredibly unbalanced. And while Ian does relinquish some control throughout the book, the relationship never ended up feeling balanced, or safe, to me.
Again, though, I think I could have looked past that. But the rest of the book didn’t work for me, either. I will say that I thought the writing was actually structurally more sound, on a sentence to sentence level, than the author’s previous book, and it was nice to see that growth. It hooks you and it didn’t let go… until about three quarters in, when I got completely fed up with what was going on.
I think my real problem with the book was two‐fold‐ first, the plot and the struggles Ian and Kelly were going through should have been deep enough to captivate me, but they were never written in a way that did. Second, I hated Ian.
I wanted to care what was happening to these people. I wanted to understand their problems and how it made their being together difficult… but there really wasn’t any reason they couldn’t be together at all, which pretty much negated the need for any kind of plot. Any problems Ian and Kelly seemed to have with each other boiled down to misunderstandings and overblown feelings, and none of it felt realistic to me.
And Ian… I tried really, really hard to like him. He just seemed like such a jerk‐ not, definitely not, because he was the dominant partner. He just seemed to have such a high opinion of himself. He had this idea that he could cure Kelly of all his problems‐ that the magic of his body and the sex he offered would put things right in Kelly’s head. That’s wrong and illogical on a lot of levels. And I’m also pretty creeped out by the idea of someone being a submissive because they ‘need’ it. Doms and subs should probably be engaging in that kind of play, first and foremost, because they like it. But it was continually said that Kelly needed it to straighten out his thoughts and his feelings, and I just… it felt wrong. (Again, this could be a personal thing.)
And Kelly himself was likeable enough, but he did seem to be kind of a background character in his own story. He could have been anyone. I didn’t get a feel for him and it didn’t really matter to me whether he ended up happy or not.
So, maybe someone who didn’t have these kinds of hang‐ups about this particular kind of relationship would enjoy this book more. But I think some of my dislike for this book‐ a larger portion of my dislike‐ was because I didn’t care about the characters or the plot, and what plot there was less ‘my kink’s not your kink’ and more ‘this is actually making me really uncomfortable.’
I was so excited for this book, and it just didn’t work for me at all. I really enjoyed the first book in the series‐ it was fluffy and sweet and very readable. And I was intrigued by the premise‐ college professor Ian rescues college student Kelly one night at a club, when Kelly gets in trouble looking for some rough fun. Ian has a personal rule against dating students, but he finds that he can’t make himself walk away from Kelly. The idea of the semi‐forbidden relationship sounded exciting.
But… no.
So, this is a book about a BDSM relationship. And I will say, in all honesty, that I’m exceptionally picky about what BDSM I’ll read. It’s not my thing. I do read it, quite frequently, though‐ if you can write something well, I’m not going to hold it against the book because I personally am not interested in it. Right off the bat, it was pretty clear that this type of relationship, while not as weird as some of the BDSM I’ve read, wasn’t for me. Maybe if someone was more into BDSM, they’d like this book better than I did? But, again, I’ve read a lot of things that would, personally, make me beyond comfortable, and enjoyed them. This, I didn’t.
So, I really wasn’t into the power dynamics between Ian and Kelly. And a lot of that was personal preference, but if that had been all it was, I would have (and have in the past) gotten over it. But the dynamics in this relationship were… illogical? Ian always had all the control‐ he was the one who decided what he and Kelly would do‐ from sex right down to what they’d eat‐, he tells Kelly when he needed to be punished for things, he doesn’t ask Kelly before he does things to him, he was always the one in control. And that was okay… BDSM relationship. I get it. But because he was older than Kelly, and because he was a professor and thus in a position of power over Kelly to begin with, it made me uncomfortable. And it just felt… incredibly unbalanced. And while Ian does relinquish some control throughout the book, the relationship never ended up feeling balanced, or safe, to me.
Again, though, I think I could have looked past that. But the rest of the book didn’t work for me, either. I will say that I thought the writing was actually structurally more sound, on a sentence to sentence level, than the author’s previous book, and it was nice to see that growth. It hooks you and it didn’t let go… until about three quarters in, when I got completely fed up with what was going on.
I think my real problem with the book was two‐fold‐ first, the plot and the struggles Ian and Kelly were going through should have been deep enough to captivate me, but they were never written in a way that did. Second, I hated Ian.
I wanted to care what was happening to these people. I wanted to understand their problems and how it made their being together difficult… but there really wasn’t any reason they couldn’t be together at all, which pretty much negated the need for any kind of plot. Any problems Ian and Kelly seemed to have with each other boiled down to misunderstandings and overblown feelings, and none of it felt realistic to me.
And Ian… I tried really, really hard to like him. He just seemed like such a jerk‐ not, definitely not, because he was the dominant partner. He just seemed to have such a high opinion of himself. He had this idea that he could cure Kelly of all his problems‐ that the magic of his body and the sex he offered would put things right in Kelly’s head. That’s wrong and illogical on a lot of levels. And I’m also pretty creeped out by the idea of someone being a submissive because they ‘need’ it. Doms and subs should probably be engaging in that kind of play, first and foremost, because they like it. But it was continually said that Kelly needed it to straighten out his thoughts and his feelings, and I just… it felt wrong. (Again, this could be a personal thing.)
And Kelly himself was likeable enough, but he did seem to be kind of a background character in his own story. He could have been anyone. I didn’t get a feel for him and it didn’t really matter to me whether he ended up happy or not.
So, maybe someone who didn’t have these kinds of hang‐ups about this particular kind of relationship would enjoy this book more. But I think some of my dislike for this book‐ a larger portion of my dislike‐ was because I didn’t care about the characters or the plot, and what plot there was less ‘my kink’s not your kink’ and more ‘this is actually making me really uncomfortable.’
April 25, 2016
“Against the Rules” is the story of Kelly and Ian. They meet in a very compromising situation and Ian involuntarily becomes “Prince Charming” Kelly’s savior. When they finally realize, who the other is, there seems to be no happy ending for them. But is there?
This was my second read by A. R. Barely. “Out of Bounds” was her first book in this series and I loved it already. But “Against the Rules” was even better IMO! We met the two male MC’s in the previous book, Kelly is Nick’s ex-boyfriend and roommate and Ian is Jesse’s professor. That doesn’t mean you have to read “Out of Bounds” first, though – “Against the Rules” can be read as a complete standalone. But I’d highly recommend book 1, only because it’s a really solid M/M book.
The writing is good and in my opinion it has improved to book 1. There were no ‘ironclad rods’ this time – this strange talk or thinking rather during the sex-scenes in “Out of Bounds” threw me off kilter a few times, but it wasn’t the case in “Against the Rules”. Speaking of which, maybe it was because of the slight BDSM-references in this story, I was utterly impressed with the author’s ability to write hot-as-hell sex-scenes, that still were very tender and realistic.
Even though it had a slight touch of forbidden to it, the whole story wasn’t too angsty, just right. I was enthralled from the beginning and loved to see their relationship progress and blooming into something solid and beautiful.
All in all, I rate “Against the Rules” with 4,5 stars and can recommend it to all fans of romance and M/M books. Second in a series, though can be read as a standalone. Mature audiences only because of explicit sexual situations, violence and mild triggers. Also entails light BDSM.
An ARC has been kindly provided to me by Netgalley/Carina Press. Thank you!
This was my second read by A. R. Barely. “Out of Bounds” was her first book in this series and I loved it already. But “Against the Rules” was even better IMO! We met the two male MC’s in the previous book, Kelly is Nick’s ex-boyfriend and roommate and Ian is Jesse’s professor. That doesn’t mean you have to read “Out of Bounds” first, though – “Against the Rules” can be read as a complete standalone. But I’d highly recommend book 1, only because it’s a really solid M/M book.
The writing is good and in my opinion it has improved to book 1. There were no ‘ironclad rods’ this time – this strange talk or thinking rather during the sex-scenes in “Out of Bounds” threw me off kilter a few times, but it wasn’t the case in “Against the Rules”. Speaking of which, maybe it was because of the slight BDSM-references in this story, I was utterly impressed with the author’s ability to write hot-as-hell sex-scenes, that still were very tender and realistic.
Even though it had a slight touch of forbidden to it, the whole story wasn’t too angsty, just right. I was enthralled from the beginning and loved to see their relationship progress and blooming into something solid and beautiful.
All in all, I rate “Against the Rules” with 4,5 stars and can recommend it to all fans of romance and M/M books. Second in a series, though can be read as a standalone. Mature audiences only because of explicit sexual situations, violence and mild triggers. Also entails light BDSM.
An ARC has been kindly provided to me by Netgalley/Carina Press. Thank you!
June 6, 2016
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
Against the Rules was a thoroughly rewarding book whose emotions run the gambit from sweet to angst, but never tips the balance on either. The book reads evenly and the pacing is strong. The plot never lags and while there are occasional story points that seem rather unnecessary, they don’t drag down the natural ebb and flow of the action. Given the low-key nature of the story, Against the Rules moves very quickly, which just highlights how engaging the main characters are. Or rather character because this book is really about Kelly’s journey.
I found it impossible not to connect with Kelly from page one. His pain and frantic need to maintain some measure of control in his life are palpable. Despite outward appearances, he’s clearly falling apart. His behaviors have spiraled beyond risky as he starts playing without limits or safe words and with partners who clearly have no interest in his well-being. Ian is an excellent match for him and capable of drawing out Kelly’s submission without leaving the man beaten and broken. The readers understand Kelly on multiple levels, which makes his gradual acceptance of Ian all the more enjoyable. But for as relatable as Kelly becomes, Ian seems equally as distant. I never felt like I related with his character despite really wanting to. We know he’s had his fair share of rough patches, but they are never explained as completely as Kelly’s. And that meant, while I like Ian, he comes off as more of a surface character rather than fully formed. Had he equaled Kelly in scope and definition, their romance would have achieved an incredible intensity. As it was, they work, but I felt as though there was a little something missing from their dynamic.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
Against the Rules was a thoroughly rewarding book whose emotions run the gambit from sweet to angst, but never tips the balance on either. The book reads evenly and the pacing is strong. The plot never lags and while there are occasional story points that seem rather unnecessary, they don’t drag down the natural ebb and flow of the action. Given the low-key nature of the story, Against the Rules moves very quickly, which just highlights how engaging the main characters are. Or rather character because this book is really about Kelly’s journey.
I found it impossible not to connect with Kelly from page one. His pain and frantic need to maintain some measure of control in his life are palpable. Despite outward appearances, he’s clearly falling apart. His behaviors have spiraled beyond risky as he starts playing without limits or safe words and with partners who clearly have no interest in his well-being. Ian is an excellent match for him and capable of drawing out Kelly’s submission without leaving the man beaten and broken. The readers understand Kelly on multiple levels, which makes his gradual acceptance of Ian all the more enjoyable. But for as relatable as Kelly becomes, Ian seems equally as distant. I never felt like I related with his character despite really wanting to. We know he’s had his fair share of rough patches, but they are never explained as completely as Kelly’s. And that meant, while I like Ian, he comes off as more of a surface character rather than fully formed. Had he equaled Kelly in scope and definition, their romance would have achieved an incredible intensity. As it was, they work, but I felt as though there was a little something missing from their dynamic.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety here.
March 23, 2017
Kelly is grieving and self-destructive. He has this thing for pain although IMO it seems it’s a bit more of a cry for help than a real sexual desire to be hurt. Ian was a bit more likable from the very beginning although my initial impression of him was a much older man. Maybe because he’s a teacher…and a Dom? I tend to associate Doms with BDSM although I didn’t find their sex to be very BDSM-ish. Bondage and spankings don’t necessarily equal BDSM so let just call it, they like rough sex and Ian likes to call the shots.
The sex aside, I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. Kelly’s lost his parents and is struggling to cope with the loss. Seems he’s related to darn near everybody in town and while they mean well trying to tell him what he ‘should be doing’ next they are just compounding his problems. Ian had a bad break-up that he semi-blames himself for. Kelly, I’m sure, was at first a way for Ian make amends for what he felt was his pass transgressions. There’s a nice weaving back and forth of highs and lows mixed in with interesting characters. If I had an over-all complaint, I would be the last 30% was over-packed with drama. A lot got crammed into those last chapters, once I could see coming, but still it was a lot to happen at one time. It all ends well (of course!) and there’s enough of a window left open that you can see they will be in the next book. Which, personally I hope is Chi-Chi’s story.
This my first book by A.R. Barley and I’m really hoping it won’t be the last. So many m/m romance writers make it all about the bow-chica-wow-wow and I feel Ms. Barley has given me more than that. She is definitely an author to watch and recommend.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine.
Stars - 4, Flames - 4
The sex aside, I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. Kelly’s lost his parents and is struggling to cope with the loss. Seems he’s related to darn near everybody in town and while they mean well trying to tell him what he ‘should be doing’ next they are just compounding his problems. Ian had a bad break-up that he semi-blames himself for. Kelly, I’m sure, was at first a way for Ian make amends for what he felt was his pass transgressions. There’s a nice weaving back and forth of highs and lows mixed in with interesting characters. If I had an over-all complaint, I would be the last 30% was over-packed with drama. A lot got crammed into those last chapters, once I could see coming, but still it was a lot to happen at one time. It all ends well (of course!) and there’s enough of a window left open that you can see they will be in the next book. Which, personally I hope is Chi-Chi’s story.
This my first book by A.R. Barley and I’m really hoping it won’t be the last. So many m/m romance writers make it all about the bow-chica-wow-wow and I feel Ms. Barley has given me more than that. She is definitely an author to watch and recommend.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine.
Stars - 4, Flames - 4
April 26, 2016
* 3.5 Stars - 4 Star *
Ok, so this one... I read, and I enjoyed reading it but the after I finished I was left feeling a bit meh to
be honest.
Kelly and Ian's relationship was interesting - even though they are student and teacher -this is not a student teacher relationship as Kelly was never in Ian's classes.
The majority of the sex scenes between the characters was hot, until we got the *cause* of the breakup... I felt that BDSM aspect of the story was not portrayed that well.. especially when it came to the whole safe word.
I also feel that the whole trouble with Ian being reported was resolved far to easily, especially considering who it was who made the complaint in the first place.
This can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the first book in the series, and I am not in any rush to either if im completely honest, however I would be intrigued if ChiChi is gonna get a HEA.
Ok, so this one... I read, and I enjoyed reading it but the after I finished I was left feeling a bit meh to
be honest.
Kelly and Ian's relationship was interesting - even though they are student and teacher -this is not a student teacher relationship as Kelly was never in Ian's classes.
The majority of the sex scenes between the characters was hot, until we got the *cause* of the breakup... I felt that BDSM aspect of the story was not portrayed that well.. especially when it came to the whole safe word.
I also feel that the whole trouble with Ian being reported was resolved far to easily, especially considering who it was who made the complaint in the first place.
This can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the first book in the series, and I am not in any rush to either if im completely honest, however I would be intrigued if ChiChi is gonna get a HEA.
March 24, 2016
I'm not so sure about this one. From the blurb i was expecting something entirely different. I didn't like Kelly, he was just too self destructive and he was supposed to be this self reliant character, didn't buy into that. Ian was just ok i guess although i didn't like the whole " i'd use BDSM to heal him" part of this book. I mean seriously. A lot of books now use that kind of expression, it seems that every book i've read lately is about healing with pain, ugh, give me a break. I also didn't think Kelly understood what it was he was getting into, he wanted an escape from all the happenings in his life but Ian and Kelly never really defined their relationship, they just sort of fell into it after a few days. I liked that it was interracial though.
I received this book from Netgallery and Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from Netgallery and Carina Press in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2016
We met Kelly in Out of Bounds and I was happy to see that his story would be next. I loved him in this story and his dilemmas that were hinted in the last book were revealed. Kelly looks like he is completely in control on the outside, but he's falling apart on the inside. Recently, he's doing risker things in order to forget what has happened, and that's how he meets Ian. Ian has all of these rules, but he ends up breaking them all for Kelly. The two navigate through a light BDSM relationship. I wonder who the next book will be about? It was nice to see Nick and Jesse again and hopefully we'll see both couples in the next one!
June 29, 2016
Ok this book was an easy read but was not as good as the first in the series. I liked both mc's well enough and their love story is ok however there were some big problems in this book for me.
The BDSM is not really handled well if we are even going to call it that. It's really just one guy who likes it rough and another whose willing to rough him up safely. Important guidelines for that kind of lifestyle are completely overlooked.
The next thing was the ending. There was just too much going on and issues trying to be resolved. Kinda of like a sitcom trying to fix everything in 30 minutes or less.
I will read the third book when it's out because I'm hoping it's chi-chi's story.
Overall this one was just ok for me. Ian and Kelly work out their dynamic and have a HEA.
The BDSM is not really handled well if we are even going to call it that. It's really just one guy who likes it rough and another whose willing to rough him up safely. Important guidelines for that kind of lifestyle are completely overlooked.
The next thing was the ending. There was just too much going on and issues trying to be resolved. Kinda of like a sitcom trying to fix everything in 30 minutes or less.
I will read the third book when it's out because I'm hoping it's chi-chi's story.
Overall this one was just ok for me. Ian and Kelly work out their dynamic and have a HEA.
November 16, 2016
From the first book we met Kelly and I just wanted to know more this book was a pleasant read.
Kelly was going through a lot and he tried to find his outlet to help him cope, when he was in a club his way to loose himself in his mind when not how he wanted really then when a hero came in and saved him from self destruction that's when things changed.
Ian was a Dom who's had a bad past with a sub but saw something in Kelly so he just couldn't step away.
Enjoyable read 4 stars
Kelly was going through a lot and he tried to find his outlet to help him cope, when he was in a club his way to loose himself in his mind when not how he wanted really then when a hero came in and saved him from self destruction that's when things changed.
Ian was a Dom who's had a bad past with a sub but saw something in Kelly so he just couldn't step away.
Enjoyable read 4 stars
March 11, 2018
3☆
I liked the first book better.
The "kinky" sex scenes ruined it for me
especially since Ian was already in the life style
of D 's and subs and Kelly was a newbie who just
normally liked his sex a little on the kinky side...
the whole whipping scene #ugh.
I just the missed the hard and soft limits talk
in this story.
I liked the first book better.
The "kinky" sex scenes ruined it for me
especially since Ian was already in the life style
of D 's and subs and Kelly was a newbie who just
normally liked his sex a little on the kinky side...
the whole whipping scene #ugh.
I just the missed the hard and soft limits talk
in this story.
March 15, 2018
My first A R Barley book. I immediately bought #1 in the series. I love kinky m/m romance. These two are hot (the sex is maybe a 3 out of 5) and the writing is very good. I have a new author to add to my “yes, please” list.
October 16, 2018
Enjoyable entertaining read. Recommend this book and the series.
February 24, 2019
Just made me squidgy. Especially the last 1/4.
June 24, 2016
3* / C
This is #2 in A.R. Barley’s Boundaries series series but can be read as a standalone. I cannot say this was my favourite novel by A.R. Barley but the writing is easy reading and there is an underlying sexy romance to enjoy. Kelly is a Residential Assistant at Halton University; he spends his nights off at a leather club, hoping to find the relief he is looking for in rough sex with strangers. One night he allows himself to get into a dangerous situation...but is rescued. His knight in shiny leather trousers is as surprised to be rescuing Kelly, as Kelly is being rescued.
Ian Larkin knows what Kelly wants—a true Dom, someone who will protect him instead of using him, someone who can take him to the edge without pushing him into unsafe territory. Ian feels, as a Dom, he knows just what Kelly needs, and he wants to be the man who can give it to him. However, he feels there is a problem, as Kelly is a student, and Ian is a teacher.
My first issue with this story may seem silly, but it seems from reviews and even the Goodreads blurb that many had the same one. The Dom in this story is called Ian Larkin, and for some reason, I kept reading it as ‘Ian Rankin’, which threw me out of the story each time. I suppose this proves how important character names are.
This is not quite the story it appears to be at first. The teacher is a professor Ian, but he is only twenty-nine. The student is not his student and is twenty-two. One of the problems I think is that this story tries to be all things to all people and fails. Although, there is no real reason these two may not date it is made into an issue by various convoluted subplots. Ian is a black man originally from Chicago, and there are too few queer stories involving POC, so I was looking forward to this side of the plotline. Good start, Ian is a professor at a university, but he has a no-hoper, gambling brother. Could we not have a POC with a good, supportive interesting family? This subplot was not really necessary to the main storyline.
The characters were rather bland and I did not feel any sexual tension. Physically, they were too perfect and I find it hard to empathise with stereotyped perfection. Ian is tall, shaven headed, powerful, muscular with skin the colour of nutmeg. Kelly is beautiful, raspberry lips formed a perfect cupid’s bow, blonde, blue eyed with a square jaw, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.
Kelly is also grief stricken, so BDSM and a Dom who wants to save him is rolled out as the great panacea for all ills. This is not what BDSM is about and it should never be used in mental illness. Thankfully, there is a safe word conversation, but Kelly’s insistence that he has no boundaries, so wouldn’t safe word, especially in the state he was in, would have made any Dom stop right there, surely. One of the crucial, and most romantic elements, of a true BDSM novel, is the communication between people - sometimes with sexual and / or physical pain, bondage etc., to reinforce this. Ian didn’t seem to communicate with Kelly on any level and vice versa, which led to many petty misunderstandings, and a scene that set off all my alarms.
I had big problems with a scene near the end. A whipping is delivered in anger, and against what the sub really wanted. I felt it was a sloppy plot device and completely at odds both with Ian’s ‘important backstory’ regarding BDSM, and how he feels about Kelly.
Review on AAR www.likesbooks.com
This is #2 in A.R. Barley’s Boundaries series series but can be read as a standalone. I cannot say this was my favourite novel by A.R. Barley but the writing is easy reading and there is an underlying sexy romance to enjoy. Kelly is a Residential Assistant at Halton University; he spends his nights off at a leather club, hoping to find the relief he is looking for in rough sex with strangers. One night he allows himself to get into a dangerous situation...but is rescued. His knight in shiny leather trousers is as surprised to be rescuing Kelly, as Kelly is being rescued.
Ian Larkin knows what Kelly wants—a true Dom, someone who will protect him instead of using him, someone who can take him to the edge without pushing him into unsafe territory. Ian feels, as a Dom, he knows just what Kelly needs, and he wants to be the man who can give it to him. However, he feels there is a problem, as Kelly is a student, and Ian is a teacher.
My first issue with this story may seem silly, but it seems from reviews and even the Goodreads blurb that many had the same one. The Dom in this story is called Ian Larkin, and for some reason, I kept reading it as ‘Ian Rankin’, which threw me out of the story each time. I suppose this proves how important character names are.
This is not quite the story it appears to be at first. The teacher is a professor Ian, but he is only twenty-nine. The student is not his student and is twenty-two. One of the problems I think is that this story tries to be all things to all people and fails. Although, there is no real reason these two may not date it is made into an issue by various convoluted subplots. Ian is a black man originally from Chicago, and there are too few queer stories involving POC, so I was looking forward to this side of the plotline. Good start, Ian is a professor at a university, but he has a no-hoper, gambling brother. Could we not have a POC with a good, supportive interesting family? This subplot was not really necessary to the main storyline.
The characters were rather bland and I did not feel any sexual tension. Physically, they were too perfect and I find it hard to empathise with stereotyped perfection. Ian is tall, shaven headed, powerful, muscular with skin the colour of nutmeg. Kelly is beautiful, raspberry lips formed a perfect cupid’s bow, blonde, blue eyed with a square jaw, and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass.
Kelly is also grief stricken, so BDSM and a Dom who wants to save him is rolled out as the great panacea for all ills. This is not what BDSM is about and it should never be used in mental illness. Thankfully, there is a safe word conversation, but Kelly’s insistence that he has no boundaries, so wouldn’t safe word, especially in the state he was in, would have made any Dom stop right there, surely. One of the crucial, and most romantic elements, of a true BDSM novel, is the communication between people - sometimes with sexual and / or physical pain, bondage etc., to reinforce this. Ian didn’t seem to communicate with Kelly on any level and vice versa, which led to many petty misunderstandings, and a scene that set off all my alarms.
I had big problems with a scene near the end. A whipping is delivered in anger, and against what the sub really wanted. I felt it was a sloppy plot device and completely at odds both with Ian’s ‘important backstory’ regarding BDSM, and how he feels about Kelly.
Review on AAR www.likesbooks.com
June 30, 2016
This is book two in a series and I think it’s better read as a series – but it can probably do fine as a standalone.
Kelly is the ex boyfriend of Nick from book one. He’s an RA at the University they attend and about to graduate. We know from book one that he’s a lost soul whose parents are dead and though he has a bit of money he’s not rich. He likes rough sex and he uses alcohol and sex to diminish the pain in his head.
Ian is a professor at the university – though we’ve never met him before – and he is currently NOT a professor of Kelly’s or Nick’s but he does have Jesse in his class.
Ian is a Dom and into causing pain but he’s had a bad experience with a submissive lover in LA.
Ian meets Kelly when Kelly ends up in a bad situation one night at Ale Mary’s and Ian steps in to rescue him and ends up taking him home. They form an instant connection and begin their own version of a D/s relationship.
**
I absolutely loved book one. So I had very high hopes for this as well. Kelly really intrigued me and I was excited to see who he would end up with that could bring him some peace.
There were parts of this that did satisfy me in that I do think Ian and Kelly might have a chance of at a good thing together especially if they view one another as equals.
But…I am not a fan of BDSM at all – so I never feel great with that as a relationship dynamic and that colors my appreciation of the book no matter how well the BDSM is portrayed. In this case I was really confused as to what was going on with these guys in that department. On the one hand Ian claims he takes it seriously and has all this experience with the scene in LA and has all these toys… but it seems like the play that he and Kelly does isn’t really all that well done.
I liked the parts when these guys were real with one another and just rough playing – that felt really authentic and good but the “punishments” never felt good and I didn’t like them for Kelly at all.
The end – with the whip – made me absolutely cringe. I did not get it at all. I understand that in the end everyone agreed mistakes were made – but WOW – I did not like it one bit.
I also felt that the “kiss and make up” portion there at the end felt rushed after all the build up. Kelly really needed some time and discussion with Ian on a level playing field for me to feel their relationship had a solid long term chance.
After all that – going in to the last 80% of the book I was giving the book a solid 4 – 4.5 stars – the ending dropped it quite a bit – I still loved the characters and thought the writing and editing was superb – but the story line faltered for me a bit.
(There’s a tiny teaser at the end of a book three – I really hope it’s ChiChi!)
3.5 of 5 stars
http://openskyebookreviews.com/agains...
I hope book three is about Chi Chi!!!
Kelly is the ex boyfriend of Nick from book one. He’s an RA at the University they attend and about to graduate. We know from book one that he’s a lost soul whose parents are dead and though he has a bit of money he’s not rich. He likes rough sex and he uses alcohol and sex to diminish the pain in his head.
Ian is a professor at the university – though we’ve never met him before – and he is currently NOT a professor of Kelly’s or Nick’s but he does have Jesse in his class.
Ian is a Dom and into causing pain but he’s had a bad experience with a submissive lover in LA.
Ian meets Kelly when Kelly ends up in a bad situation one night at Ale Mary’s and Ian steps in to rescue him and ends up taking him home. They form an instant connection and begin their own version of a D/s relationship.
**
I absolutely loved book one. So I had very high hopes for this as well. Kelly really intrigued me and I was excited to see who he would end up with that could bring him some peace.
There were parts of this that did satisfy me in that I do think Ian and Kelly might have a chance of at a good thing together especially if they view one another as equals.
But…I am not a fan of BDSM at all – so I never feel great with that as a relationship dynamic and that colors my appreciation of the book no matter how well the BDSM is portrayed. In this case I was really confused as to what was going on with these guys in that department. On the one hand Ian claims he takes it seriously and has all this experience with the scene in LA and has all these toys… but it seems like the play that he and Kelly does isn’t really all that well done.
I liked the parts when these guys were real with one another and just rough playing – that felt really authentic and good but the “punishments” never felt good and I didn’t like them for Kelly at all.
The end – with the whip – made me absolutely cringe. I did not get it at all. I understand that in the end everyone agreed mistakes were made – but WOW – I did not like it one bit.
I also felt that the “kiss and make up” portion there at the end felt rushed after all the build up. Kelly really needed some time and discussion with Ian on a level playing field for me to feel their relationship had a solid long term chance.
After all that – going in to the last 80% of the book I was giving the book a solid 4 – 4.5 stars – the ending dropped it quite a bit – I still loved the characters and thought the writing and editing was superb – but the story line faltered for me a bit.
(There’s a tiny teaser at the end of a book three – I really hope it’s ChiChi!)
3.5 of 5 stars
http://openskyebookreviews.com/agains...
I hope book three is about Chi Chi!!!
June 2, 2016
This one contains some pretty hard core stuff.
This is the second book in The Boundaries series but you don’t need to have read the first one as both books are complete, standalone stories. I read the first book, Out of Bounds, and liked it a lot; it was a 5 star read for me but I’m conflicted about this book. The writing is good, my dilemma has more to do with some of the content and the fact that the blurb for the book didn’t adequately prepare me for what I would be reading.
The blurb alludes to rough play but this book took that in a direction that I was a bit uncomfortable with. I’ve read many books with BDSM themes and what I thought was some pretty hard-core stuff. But I was not prepared to read about one man biting another – hard enough to break the skin and leave bruises. This was a pretty big turnoff for me.
Kelly is a student at the college where Ian teaches but he’ll be graduating in a couple of months. Kelly is in a bad place emotionally; he’s pretty much shut down and uses pain to keep him from dealing with his feelings. Ian rescues him from a bad situation and they begin a relationship. Neither of them really talk about things in their past that are having a direct impact on how they behave now.
Ian had a bad experience with a lover/sub but he never really tells Kelly about it. He doesn’t refer to himself as a Dom although he makes sure that Kelly has a safe word. Kelly is suffering emotionally from the recent deaths of his parents but he never really talks to Ian about that either.
I had trouble feeling a real connection between Kelly and Ian. Their relationship was just a bit too twisted for me. It all works out in the end and there is an HEA. Just be warned that there are some pretty harsh things happening in this story that you might find objectionable.
I tried to put aside my bias against some of the elements of the story that I personally had a problem with when I assigned my rating. However, I had to ding it one star because I really believe that the blurb for the book should have had more of a warning for the somewhat violent nature of the BDSM elements that the story contains. If the blurb had been more accurate my rating would be 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review. Review will be posted to Xtreme-Delusions dot com on or after release date.
This is the second book in The Boundaries series but you don’t need to have read the first one as both books are complete, standalone stories. I read the first book, Out of Bounds, and liked it a lot; it was a 5 star read for me but I’m conflicted about this book. The writing is good, my dilemma has more to do with some of the content and the fact that the blurb for the book didn’t adequately prepare me for what I would be reading.
The blurb alludes to rough play but this book took that in a direction that I was a bit uncomfortable with. I’ve read many books with BDSM themes and what I thought was some pretty hard-core stuff. But I was not prepared to read about one man biting another – hard enough to break the skin and leave bruises. This was a pretty big turnoff for me.
Kelly is a student at the college where Ian teaches but he’ll be graduating in a couple of months. Kelly is in a bad place emotionally; he’s pretty much shut down and uses pain to keep him from dealing with his feelings. Ian rescues him from a bad situation and they begin a relationship. Neither of them really talk about things in their past that are having a direct impact on how they behave now.
Ian had a bad experience with a lover/sub but he never really tells Kelly about it. He doesn’t refer to himself as a Dom although he makes sure that Kelly has a safe word. Kelly is suffering emotionally from the recent deaths of his parents but he never really talks to Ian about that either.
I had trouble feeling a real connection between Kelly and Ian. Their relationship was just a bit too twisted for me. It all works out in the end and there is an HEA. Just be warned that there are some pretty harsh things happening in this story that you might find objectionable.
I tried to put aside my bias against some of the elements of the story that I personally had a problem with when I assigned my rating. However, I had to ding it one star because I really believe that the blurb for the book should have had more of a warning for the somewhat violent nature of the BDSM elements that the story contains. If the blurb had been more accurate my rating would be 4 stars.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my review. Review will be posted to Xtreme-Delusions dot com on or after release date.
April 9, 2016
This book in my opinion is about letting go of the pain that grips someone and standing up for themselves and making their own decisions. It is a well thought out book that goes through all the steps that one would most likely go through in this type of situation.
Kelly is a few months from graduating from the university and his whole life is up in shambles. He lost his father to drunk driving and then shortly after his mother to cancer. He still has nightmares about her passing and nothing seems to stop them except a night of rough, sometimes kinky, sex. So that is what Kelly looks for to try and help dull the pain from his loss. One night while at the club things go almost to far when a guy he had been with previously decides to up the stakes. Kelley is rescued by Ian. From that point forward things were about to change with Ian's help.
Kelley reminds me of someone who is drowning in pain and heartache. He cannot face what has happened in his life so instead he lets everyone decide what he does.... His family, his friends, his professors. I guess he feels it is better for them to take over for him so he does not have to decide for himself and in doing so he will not make the wrong decision. I think that he is misguided in the thinking that pain will take his pain away. I agree that he is submissive to an extent but I think that what he is really looking for is someone to love him and someone he can love. He wants someone to help himself hold himself accountable for stupid decisions he makes but done so by someone who loves him and not intentionally hurt him.
Ian is looking for the same thing that Kelley is lookin for but he is dominate. He tries to give Kelley what he needs but he falls in love with him to. I think Kelley does just as much for Ian as Ian does for Kelley because I believe that Isn is carrying around guilt about his former sub/boyfriend that he had not let go of. He lets it get into his head and almost loses the man he loves because it.
I really enjoyed reading this book and taking the journey right along with Ian and Kelley. It is an amazing story.
Was given this book by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
Kelly is a few months from graduating from the university and his whole life is up in shambles. He lost his father to drunk driving and then shortly after his mother to cancer. He still has nightmares about her passing and nothing seems to stop them except a night of rough, sometimes kinky, sex. So that is what Kelly looks for to try and help dull the pain from his loss. One night while at the club things go almost to far when a guy he had been with previously decides to up the stakes. Kelley is rescued by Ian. From that point forward things were about to change with Ian's help.
Kelley reminds me of someone who is drowning in pain and heartache. He cannot face what has happened in his life so instead he lets everyone decide what he does.... His family, his friends, his professors. I guess he feels it is better for them to take over for him so he does not have to decide for himself and in doing so he will not make the wrong decision. I think that he is misguided in the thinking that pain will take his pain away. I agree that he is submissive to an extent but I think that what he is really looking for is someone to love him and someone he can love. He wants someone to help himself hold himself accountable for stupid decisions he makes but done so by someone who loves him and not intentionally hurt him.
Ian is looking for the same thing that Kelley is lookin for but he is dominate. He tries to give Kelley what he needs but he falls in love with him to. I think Kelley does just as much for Ian as Ian does for Kelley because I believe that Isn is carrying around guilt about his former sub/boyfriend that he had not let go of. He lets it get into his head and almost loses the man he loves because it.
I really enjoyed reading this book and taking the journey right along with Ian and Kelley. It is an amazing story.
Was given this book by inked rainbow reads for an honest review
April 20, 2016
I was very excited to read this book. I wanted to know what Kelly’s story was as soon as he was introduced in Boundaries book 1. I had high expectations going in and I don’t think the author disappointed.
Kelly is a lost soul when Ian comes into his life. Kelly has just lost both his parents. He’s finishing his college degree and his aunts are pressuring him to sell his childhood home and move away without any regard to what he wants. The dean of the college, who was a longtime friend of his mother’s, has also just offered him the job of being his Administrative Assistant. Kelly feels pressured by the people he should be able to count on the most in his life for support. Kelly finds the control he needs from his struggles the only way he knows how, drinking and sex.
Ian is drawn to Kelly as soon as he rescues him from his abusers in the restroom at the nightclub. Ian can tell he’s struggling with a lack of control in his life and offers him an outlet through safe, consensual BDSM. Even though Ian and Kelly both know it’s probably not a good idea to start dating, they do because Kelly is only a few months from graduation. No one knows they’re dating except Nick and Jesse.
I think troubles begin in the relationship because there is a lack of communication between the MC’s. Kelly says he has no limits when it comes to his sexual needs and Ian doesn’t do the relationship any justice when he doesn’t set boundaries when it comes to his dominant side.
The last few chapters may seem a little rushed to get to the ending, BUT, the story still had the HEA because the MC’s finally sat down and discussed what they wanted from the relationship and how to communicate that to each other and what their limits and boundaries are. Kelly was finally able to stand up to his Aunts and he accepted the job with the dean.
I received a free copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
Kelly is a lost soul when Ian comes into his life. Kelly has just lost both his parents. He’s finishing his college degree and his aunts are pressuring him to sell his childhood home and move away without any regard to what he wants. The dean of the college, who was a longtime friend of his mother’s, has also just offered him the job of being his Administrative Assistant. Kelly feels pressured by the people he should be able to count on the most in his life for support. Kelly finds the control he needs from his struggles the only way he knows how, drinking and sex.
Ian is drawn to Kelly as soon as he rescues him from his abusers in the restroom at the nightclub. Ian can tell he’s struggling with a lack of control in his life and offers him an outlet through safe, consensual BDSM. Even though Ian and Kelly both know it’s probably not a good idea to start dating, they do because Kelly is only a few months from graduation. No one knows they’re dating except Nick and Jesse.
I think troubles begin in the relationship because there is a lack of communication between the MC’s. Kelly says he has no limits when it comes to his sexual needs and Ian doesn’t do the relationship any justice when he doesn’t set boundaries when it comes to his dominant side.
The last few chapters may seem a little rushed to get to the ending, BUT, the story still had the HEA because the MC’s finally sat down and discussed what they wanted from the relationship and how to communicate that to each other and what their limits and boundaries are. Kelly was finally able to stand up to his Aunts and he accepted the job with the dean.
I received a free copy of this book from Inked Rainbow Reviews in exchange for an honest review.
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