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Kick #2
The Deeper He Hurts
In this wild and sensual Kick novel from the RITA Award–nominated author of The Harder He Falls, a sizzling affair tempts the tech guru of a popular outdoor-adventure-sports company to come out of the closet and embrace his desires.
Asher Ruggiero, a partner at Adrenaline Kick Adventures, is living a lie. As a control freak whose big Italian family thinks he’s straight, Asher likes his encounters concise, dirty, and discreet—until his company’s new rafting guide walks into work, dripping with brooding, intense sexuality. Sawyer Stevens is a mystery man with secrets and rough edges, and he makes Asher want to get to know him inside and out.
Ever since the tragic death of his parents, Sawyer has dedicated himself to the rush of adrenaline that comes from pleasure and pain. Moving from one guy to another, hiding when life gets too complicated—that’s all he can handle. So why does Asher make him long for something lasting and honest, when the gorgeous geek can’t even be true to himself? Sawyer wants to give Asher his heart, but he just doesn’t know how. After all, a life without integrity is a life without passion—and that’s the one thing Sawyer craves.
The Deeper He Hurts is intended for mature audiences. This ebook includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Asher Ruggiero, a partner at Adrenaline Kick Adventures, is living a lie. As a control freak whose big Italian family thinks he’s straight, Asher likes his encounters concise, dirty, and discreet—until his company’s new rafting guide walks into work, dripping with brooding, intense sexuality. Sawyer Stevens is a mystery man with secrets and rough edges, and he makes Asher want to get to know him inside and out.
Ever since the tragic death of his parents, Sawyer has dedicated himself to the rush of adrenaline that comes from pleasure and pain. Moving from one guy to another, hiding when life gets too complicated—that’s all he can handle. So why does Asher make him long for something lasting and honest, when the gorgeous geek can’t even be true to himself? Sawyer wants to give Asher his heart, but he just doesn’t know how. After all, a life without integrity is a life without passion—and that’s the one thing Sawyer craves.
The Deeper He Hurts is intended for mature audiences. This ebook includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 6, 2016
19 people are currently reading
344 people want to read
About the author
Lynda Aicher
44 books566 followersI love to read. It's a simple fact that has been true since I discovered the worlds of Judy Blume at the age of ten. After years of weekly travel as a consultant implementing computer software into global companies, I ended my nomadic lifestyle to raise my two children. Now, my imagination is my only limitation on where I can go and my writing lets me escape from the daily duties of being a mom, wife, chauffeur, scheduler, cook, teacher, cleaner, and mediator.
If writing wasn't a priority, it would never get done.
If writing wasn't a priority, it would never get done.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
June 16, 2016
I'm conflicted.
Objectively, this is not a bad book. The MCs are complex, and the story is taut with tension and brimming with angst and pain.
If you prefer fluffier stories, stay far, far away. Seriously, heed my warning. The Deeper He Hurts, as the title suggests, is not for the faint of heart.
Fortunately, there is a payoff at the end, a tender and hopeful HEA, which was a breath of fresh air after so much suffering.
Subjectively, I had a hard time getting through this book. I forced myself to keep reading, because I rarely DNF advanced reading copies that the publisher was generous enough to send me.
Here's the thing: Asher is a true sadist. He love inflicting pain and watching the agony of others. He gets off on it. And Sawyer is his perfect fit, because Sawyer is a pain slut. But Sawyer's cravings for pain come from a broken place; he uses the sensation of pain to muffle his feelings, to hide the true anguish of suffering a tremendous loss when he was young.
Asher is not a Dom, and Sawyer not a sub. This is way beyond BDSM.
One of the first scenes Ash and Sawyer do together involves Ash massaging sports cream (the stuff with menthol that reeks and burns like a motherfucker) into Sawyer's asshole, cock, and balls. And Sawyer fucking loves it.
I'm sorry, peeps, but that kind of torture is NOT my thing. I like BDSM light, some spanking, gagging, rough sex, but the scenes in this book are so beyond that, it's like comparing Paris to Pyongyang.
Ash eventually gets Sawyer to open up, and while they still play, they transition to a more functional relationship. But it takes a while.
My other complaint is that Lynda Aicher tends to overwrite. I noticed it in the first book of this series, and it was even more apparent here. We're not allowed to draw our own conclusions about events and characters; the author tells us what emotions the MCs are feeling to make sure we get it right. The internal monologues go on for pages. This is clunky and makes the story feel longer than it is.
I'm going with 2.5 stars for this one rounded up, because I think much of what didn't work for me was about ME, not the book.
Objectively, this is not a bad book. The MCs are complex, and the story is taut with tension and brimming with angst and pain.
If you prefer fluffier stories, stay far, far away. Seriously, heed my warning. The Deeper He Hurts, as the title suggests, is not for the faint of heart.
Fortunately, there is a payoff at the end, a tender and hopeful HEA, which was a breath of fresh air after so much suffering.
Subjectively, I had a hard time getting through this book. I forced myself to keep reading, because I rarely DNF advanced reading copies that the publisher was generous enough to send me.
Here's the thing: Asher is a true sadist. He love inflicting pain and watching the agony of others. He gets off on it. And Sawyer is his perfect fit, because Sawyer is a pain slut. But Sawyer's cravings for pain come from a broken place; he uses the sensation of pain to muffle his feelings, to hide the true anguish of suffering a tremendous loss when he was young.
Asher is not a Dom, and Sawyer not a sub. This is way beyond BDSM.
One of the first scenes Ash and Sawyer do together involves Ash massaging sports cream (the stuff with menthol that reeks and burns like a motherfucker) into Sawyer's asshole, cock, and balls. And Sawyer fucking loves it.
I'm sorry, peeps, but that kind of torture is NOT my thing. I like BDSM light, some spanking, gagging, rough sex, but the scenes in this book are so beyond that, it's like comparing Paris to Pyongyang.
Ash eventually gets Sawyer to open up, and while they still play, they transition to a more functional relationship. But it takes a while.
My other complaint is that Lynda Aicher tends to overwrite. I noticed it in the first book of this series, and it was even more apparent here. We're not allowed to draw our own conclusions about events and characters; the author tells us what emotions the MCs are feeling to make sure we get it right. The internal monologues go on for pages. This is clunky and makes the story feel longer than it is.
I'm going with 2.5 stars for this one rounded up, because I think much of what didn't work for me was about ME, not the book.
November 6, 2018
4.5 stars
Now this is a hot, compelling story that we've come to expect from Lynda Aicher! The first book in the series the Harder He Falls was on the verge of perfection, until Grady turned into a whiner and treated Micah so terribly. There is none of that here!
The Deeper He Hurts focuses on Asher, the resident "nerd" who takes care of the books for Adrenaline Kick Adventures, a Portland-based outdoor-adventure sports company, and creates smartphone apps in his free time. He's got it pretty good. Wealthy because of his gaming apps, handsome, enjoys his job, but he is a masochist and loves to bring the pain to a willing participant. He accepts his kink, but he has been unable to find the perfect partner. One who isn't looking for a Dom to lick his boots, just someone who gets off on the pain and will balance out the power exchange between and sadist and a masochist.
Enter Sawyer, a whitewater rafting guide from Oregon with more baggage than you can shake a stick at. His family; mother, father and two sisters, died in a house fire when he was 16 and he can't seem to get over his grief and guilt that he didn't die with them. The only way he seems to find peace is to let someone beat him until he is howling in pain. If he can't find someone to do that, he self-harms by cutting and burning his upper thighs.
Now, the necessary trigger warning:
Normally that isn't my kink. I like a good flogging or spanking, but Sawyer is a self-described pain slut and likes it really, really hard. Luckily he finds Asher, who refuses to play with him without a safe-word or cause him permanent bodily harm.
Sawyer and Asher also start a sexual relationship, outside of their scenes, and the sex and emotion and literally mind-melting. There is wall sex, hallelujah!, a personal favorite of mine.
Looking for a dirty-talking, filthy, hardcore S & M read with some healing/comfort and two sexy-as-fuck guys? Well, look no further.
Highly recommended.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Advanced review copy of The Deeper He Hurts provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Now this is a hot, compelling story that we've come to expect from Lynda Aicher! The first book in the series the Harder He Falls was on the verge of perfection, until Grady turned into a whiner and treated Micah so terribly. There is none of that here!
The Deeper He Hurts focuses on Asher, the resident "nerd" who takes care of the books for Adrenaline Kick Adventures, a Portland-based outdoor-adventure sports company, and creates smartphone apps in his free time. He's got it pretty good. Wealthy because of his gaming apps, handsome, enjoys his job, but he is a masochist and loves to bring the pain to a willing participant. He accepts his kink, but he has been unable to find the perfect partner. One who isn't looking for a Dom to lick his boots, just someone who gets off on the pain and will balance out the power exchange between and sadist and a masochist.
Enter Sawyer, a whitewater rafting guide from Oregon with more baggage than you can shake a stick at. His family; mother, father and two sisters, died in a house fire when he was 16 and he can't seem to get over his grief and guilt that he didn't die with them. The only way he seems to find peace is to let someone beat him until he is howling in pain. If he can't find someone to do that, he self-harms by cutting and burning his upper thighs.
Now, the necessary trigger warning:
This book contains scenes of self-harm and brutal scenes of pain-inducing BDSM play.
Normally that isn't my kink. I like a good flogging or spanking, but Sawyer is a self-described pain slut and likes it really, really hard. Luckily he finds Asher, who refuses to play with him without a safe-word or cause him permanent bodily harm.
Sawyer and Asher also start a sexual relationship, outside of their scenes, and the sex and emotion and literally mind-melting. There is wall sex, hallelujah!, a personal favorite of mine.
Looking for a dirty-talking, filthy, hardcore S & M read with some healing/comfort and two sexy-as-fuck guys? Well, look no further.
Highly recommended.
This review is also posted at Gay Book Reviews
Advanced review copy of The Deeper He Hurts provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 25, 2016
Scorching HOT!
Holy smokes. This book completely caught me offguard. While I knew it was an M/M story what I didn't realize is the depths of erotica and BDSM that is included in this... Not that I'm complaining.
This book was totally hot. There were some parts of the book that delved deeply into the S&M area that I didn't really care for but I love the connection that the two guys had for each other.
The author knows how to heat up those pages and offer a deeply sensuous and scorching hot story that you are not going to forget. It definitely makes me want to go back and read the first story in the series Kick #1.
The author also managed to create two very different characters that were complete opposites in many ways and yet they manage to find a beautiful connection and complement each other in that delicate balance.
This book is super hot and while I felt uncomfortable in a few areas, overall this is definitely a must-read if you love a combination of M/M and BDSM stories.
Holy smokes. This book completely caught me offguard. While I knew it was an M/M story what I didn't realize is the depths of erotica and BDSM that is included in this... Not that I'm complaining.
This book was totally hot. There were some parts of the book that delved deeply into the S&M area that I didn't really care for but I love the connection that the two guys had for each other.
The author knows how to heat up those pages and offer a deeply sensuous and scorching hot story that you are not going to forget. It definitely makes me want to go back and read the first story in the series Kick #1.
The author also managed to create two very different characters that were complete opposites in many ways and yet they manage to find a beautiful connection and complement each other in that delicate balance.
This book is super hot and while I felt uncomfortable in a few areas, overall this is definitely a must-read if you love a combination of M/M and BDSM stories.
September 10, 2016
Wow just wow. This was so much more than S&M.
Review to come.
Review to come.
September 5, 2016
When you meet your match….
Whew… the temperature on my Kindle rose to a fever pitch with this love story! To say this read was hot and melty does it a great disservice. It was definitely those things—oh yes, absolutely both those things! It was meltingly hot. And hotly melting. What that doesn’t describe is the incredible connection between Ash and Sawyer.
They each had a façade that they displayed to the world but the barriers dropped between them, right along with their drawers. Not that they liked the knowledge that their innermost thoughts and desires was so easy to read. Neither appreciated the fact that the other could see him in a way that no one else could. Kindred spirits? Ying to yang? Let’s just say explosive!
“I didn’t see you coming… And I don’t know what do to with you.”
“Whipping and fucking me would be just fine.”
Ash’s preppy exterior was part of the armor he used to hide his true self. He was gay and not ashamed, however, his family was not so open-minded. Sawyer had no family to hide from, or love with, so any secrets he kept, he kept for his own reasons. They saw in each other right away someone who could fill the darkest of their sexual desires, and they weren’t shy about reaching out for what they both wanted. Whether in the forest, at work, well, anywhere was fair game when feelings and desires were in play.
Of course, that was only part of the story. Work complications, family, their own hang-ups about how things should be meant they were going to have to work extra hard to gain and keep what they found together. And I wanted, needed, that for them. The physical-ness, the intimacy they had was sweet and loving and incredibly, beautifully rough around the edges.
“He’d plucked a dream from the sky and here it was, waiting for him.”
“Soaked in every touch and relished the intimacy he’d deprived himself of for so long.”
When Sawyer broke down in a certain scene and Ash was there to prop him up emotionally, physically… I fell in love with this pair even more.
My new book boyfriends…. MINE! ~ Diane, 5 stars
~~~
Asher Ruggiero has had to spend a considerable amount of time helping to run Adrenaline Kick Adventures—which allows him to spend even less time with his family and to continue to hide his sexuality from them. With all the work, Asher has allowed himself a little bit of play time, but no one has really appealed to him or his dirty, baser needs, wants and desires of late—until Sawyer Stevens shows up as a summer rafting guide for Kick.
Sawyer needs a change of pace. Since the tragic death of his family, Sawyer’s only outlet, only pleasure comes from feeling the pain—the pain from a Dominant. A masochist, Sawyer moves from man to man trying to “feel” his way through life without attaching to anyone, but meeting Asher changes everything Sawyer thought he wanted in life. But can he move past the pain of losing his family to open his heart to all that Asher can give him? Is Asher willing to finally come clean to his family to really live the life he wants and deserves?
Oh, Asher and Sawyer. You two broody, scared, gorgeous men got right under my skin from the first page. Both of you afraid to live—really live—not just one day at a time, but with planning for the future. I found myself wanting to reach in to the story to get these two in a room to really talk—stop with the secrets and communicate. They communicated beautifully in the bedroom *fans self* but outside of it they struggled. But, jeez, once they finally started communicating—really telling each other their truths, it was just so beautiful and I couldn’t help but root for them to get it together.
I can’t wait for more of the Kick team in The Farther He Runs… next up FINN!! ~ Missy, 4.5 stars
Whew… the temperature on my Kindle rose to a fever pitch with this love story! To say this read was hot and melty does it a great disservice. It was definitely those things—oh yes, absolutely both those things! It was meltingly hot. And hotly melting. What that doesn’t describe is the incredible connection between Ash and Sawyer.
They each had a façade that they displayed to the world but the barriers dropped between them, right along with their drawers. Not that they liked the knowledge that their innermost thoughts and desires was so easy to read. Neither appreciated the fact that the other could see him in a way that no one else could. Kindred spirits? Ying to yang? Let’s just say explosive!
“I didn’t see you coming… And I don’t know what do to with you.”
“Whipping and fucking me would be just fine.”
Ash’s preppy exterior was part of the armor he used to hide his true self. He was gay and not ashamed, however, his family was not so open-minded. Sawyer had no family to hide from, or love with, so any secrets he kept, he kept for his own reasons. They saw in each other right away someone who could fill the darkest of their sexual desires, and they weren’t shy about reaching out for what they both wanted. Whether in the forest, at work, well, anywhere was fair game when feelings and desires were in play.
Of course, that was only part of the story. Work complications, family, their own hang-ups about how things should be meant they were going to have to work extra hard to gain and keep what they found together. And I wanted, needed, that for them. The physical-ness, the intimacy they had was sweet and loving and incredibly, beautifully rough around the edges.
“He’d plucked a dream from the sky and here it was, waiting for him.”
“Soaked in every touch and relished the intimacy he’d deprived himself of for so long.”
When Sawyer broke down in a certain scene and Ash was there to prop him up emotionally, physically… I fell in love with this pair even more.
My new book boyfriends…. MINE! ~ Diane, 5 stars
~~~
Asher Ruggiero has had to spend a considerable amount of time helping to run Adrenaline Kick Adventures—which allows him to spend even less time with his family and to continue to hide his sexuality from them. With all the work, Asher has allowed himself a little bit of play time, but no one has really appealed to him or his dirty, baser needs, wants and desires of late—until Sawyer Stevens shows up as a summer rafting guide for Kick.
Sawyer needs a change of pace. Since the tragic death of his family, Sawyer’s only outlet, only pleasure comes from feeling the pain—the pain from a Dominant. A masochist, Sawyer moves from man to man trying to “feel” his way through life without attaching to anyone, but meeting Asher changes everything Sawyer thought he wanted in life. But can he move past the pain of losing his family to open his heart to all that Asher can give him? Is Asher willing to finally come clean to his family to really live the life he wants and deserves?
Oh, Asher and Sawyer. You two broody, scared, gorgeous men got right under my skin from the first page. Both of you afraid to live—really live—not just one day at a time, but with planning for the future. I found myself wanting to reach in to the story to get these two in a room to really talk—stop with the secrets and communicate. They communicated beautifully in the bedroom *fans self* but outside of it they struggled. But, jeez, once they finally started communicating—really telling each other their truths, it was just so beautiful and I couldn’t help but root for them to get it together.
I can’t wait for more of the Kick team in The Farther He Runs… next up FINN!! ~ Missy, 4.5 stars
September 7, 2016
*4.5 stars*
This book, y'all. Holy hell talk about a hot, sensual, intense, and fraught with tension book! I started reading and could not put this one down. Asher and Sawyer are sooooooo incredible, and their story gripped me from the get go. This one is VERY heavy, and the BDSM is not for the faint of heart, but it all worked so so perfectly and fit these two guys so fabulously well. The power exchange between these two is profoundly deep and even though the sadism and masochism might be hard for some to understand, I found it beautiful and so well written.
This is the second book of the series, but you absolutely do not need to have read the first one in order to fully appreciate these characters or the setting. Which can I say, the whole extreme adventure angle is just so different, and I’m really enjoying that aspect of these books quite a bit. But back to Sawyer and Asher. These two are so completely compelling. Of the two, though my heart ached for Sawyer and his backstory, it’s Asher who my heart bled for. A more complex, fascinating, and unique character I have not come across in some time. His guilt, the heavy burden of his family’s expectations of him, his dark desires, and his utter control over every aspect of his life completely drew me in. It’s not just the fact that looking at him in his dark framed glasses and button down shirts and neatly pressed khakis that you immediately think nerd only to find this fierce and intense Masochist hidden underneath, but it’s the way he views himself and his needs that kept me so captivated. I have never, in all my reading of BDSM, come across an explanation of masochism that truly made me understand like I did here in The Deeper He Hurts. I’ve used the word craving before when talking about the many aspects of BDSM before, but I’m not sure that’s entirely appropriate. For Asher, this part of himself, and being able to have an outlet, is completely vital to his total self. It’s not happiness, it’s more than that. It’s a settling of his soul and heart and mind and seeing him and Sawyer together, was indeed a beautiful thing to experience. Yes the scenes and dirty talk and descriptions are hotter than hell, but it’s so much more than that.
Sawyer is broken and he’s looking for anything to make him feel alive, even going so far as to harm himself and put himself in dangerous sexual situations. When he realizes that Asher can be the one who can help him find the peace he’s so desperate to find, he’s both terrified and willing to do anything to keep him. It’s the dichotomy of these two, the push and pull, and the way they are such a perfect fit that really got to me. They’re both broken and searching, both surviving but not living, and definitely both aching to fill the empty parts of their souls.
*****
Ash pulled off, glanced up to catch the molten gaze staring down at him. He didn’t need his glasses to see the passion that darkened Sawyer’s eyes or the parted lips and heavy eyelids. Just like with the pain, Sawyer didn’t resist the sensations. He embraced them all, wholly in the moment.
The wonder of that rare quality sank into Ash with the awe it deserved. He trailed his fingers down, the tips grazing over the scars on Sawyer’s thighs. How had it felt when he’d inflicted them? When did he learn the art of breathing with the pain, of processing the signals into something other than excruciating or intolerable?
Where did he store all those feelings? Did they ever burst free? Would anything—anyone—ever reach deep enough to break him out of the pain?
Ash was on his back, breath trapped, eyes wide before he knew what had happened? Sawyer hovered over him, smirk blazing. That dimple got him every time. It hid and revealed so much at once.
“You were taking too long,” Sawyer explained in a smoky tone that crawled through Ash’s groin.
“To do what?”
“Anything.”
*****
All. The. Feels.
If you pick up The Deeper He Hurts simply to read some scorching hot BDSM scenes, then you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. This is a beautifully portrayed, brilliantly written love story. It’s a story about expectations, both your own and others, and being true to yourself. I am quite in awe of how much I loved this story and how much respect Lynda Aicher has shown an aspect of BDSM that is most often misunderstood. I cried, a lot. There are so many emotions, so many feels. The way Sawyer and Asher discover each other, the way they trust and communicate is something you don’t often see, especially in a book about BDSM. And … their I love you’s were some of the most satisfying I’ve read in a long time.
I'm still floating from how good this book was and I really can't wait for book 3!
*This review is also posted on www.prettysassycool.com and an ARC was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
www.prettysassycool.com
This book, y'all. Holy hell talk about a hot, sensual, intense, and fraught with tension book! I started reading and could not put this one down. Asher and Sawyer are sooooooo incredible, and their story gripped me from the get go. This one is VERY heavy, and the BDSM is not for the faint of heart, but it all worked so so perfectly and fit these two guys so fabulously well. The power exchange between these two is profoundly deep and even though the sadism and masochism might be hard for some to understand, I found it beautiful and so well written.
This is the second book of the series, but you absolutely do not need to have read the first one in order to fully appreciate these characters or the setting. Which can I say, the whole extreme adventure angle is just so different, and I’m really enjoying that aspect of these books quite a bit. But back to Sawyer and Asher. These two are so completely compelling. Of the two, though my heart ached for Sawyer and his backstory, it’s Asher who my heart bled for. A more complex, fascinating, and unique character I have not come across in some time. His guilt, the heavy burden of his family’s expectations of him, his dark desires, and his utter control over every aspect of his life completely drew me in. It’s not just the fact that looking at him in his dark framed glasses and button down shirts and neatly pressed khakis that you immediately think nerd only to find this fierce and intense Masochist hidden underneath, but it’s the way he views himself and his needs that kept me so captivated. I have never, in all my reading of BDSM, come across an explanation of masochism that truly made me understand like I did here in The Deeper He Hurts. I’ve used the word craving before when talking about the many aspects of BDSM before, but I’m not sure that’s entirely appropriate. For Asher, this part of himself, and being able to have an outlet, is completely vital to his total self. It’s not happiness, it’s more than that. It’s a settling of his soul and heart and mind and seeing him and Sawyer together, was indeed a beautiful thing to experience. Yes the scenes and dirty talk and descriptions are hotter than hell, but it’s so much more than that.
Sawyer is broken and he’s looking for anything to make him feel alive, even going so far as to harm himself and put himself in dangerous sexual situations. When he realizes that Asher can be the one who can help him find the peace he’s so desperate to find, he’s both terrified and willing to do anything to keep him. It’s the dichotomy of these two, the push and pull, and the way they are such a perfect fit that really got to me. They’re both broken and searching, both surviving but not living, and definitely both aching to fill the empty parts of their souls.
*****
Ash pulled off, glanced up to catch the molten gaze staring down at him. He didn’t need his glasses to see the passion that darkened Sawyer’s eyes or the parted lips and heavy eyelids. Just like with the pain, Sawyer didn’t resist the sensations. He embraced them all, wholly in the moment.
The wonder of that rare quality sank into Ash with the awe it deserved. He trailed his fingers down, the tips grazing over the scars on Sawyer’s thighs. How had it felt when he’d inflicted them? When did he learn the art of breathing with the pain, of processing the signals into something other than excruciating or intolerable?
Where did he store all those feelings? Did they ever burst free? Would anything—anyone—ever reach deep enough to break him out of the pain?
Ash was on his back, breath trapped, eyes wide before he knew what had happened? Sawyer hovered over him, smirk blazing. That dimple got him every time. It hid and revealed so much at once.
“You were taking too long,” Sawyer explained in a smoky tone that crawled through Ash’s groin.
“To do what?”
“Anything.”
*****
All. The. Feels.
If you pick up The Deeper He Hurts simply to read some scorching hot BDSM scenes, then you’re doing yourself a huge disservice. This is a beautifully portrayed, brilliantly written love story. It’s a story about expectations, both your own and others, and being true to yourself. I am quite in awe of how much I loved this story and how much respect Lynda Aicher has shown an aspect of BDSM that is most often misunderstood. I cried, a lot. There are so many emotions, so many feels. The way Sawyer and Asher discover each other, the way they trust and communicate is something you don’t often see, especially in a book about BDSM. And … their I love you’s were some of the most satisfying I’ve read in a long time.
I'm still floating from how good this book was and I really can't wait for book 3!
*This review is also posted on www.prettysassycool.com and an ARC was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
www.prettysassycool.com
September 13, 2016
Favorite Quote: “I’m going to give you so damn much you’ll think of me for days.”
Whoa baby! This book is sexy…
Sawyer is an outdoor guy – big, shaggy hair, and for the summer has left his Moab, Utah home and traveled to work with Adrenaline Kick Adventures, a company that takes folks white water rafting and other outdoorsy things. This company is also known for…..
He’d agreed solely for the possibilities that came with working with a group of gay Doms. A rumor Kick didn’t advertise, but that still wound its way through the community.
Sawyer is going to be a rafting guide and is happy to be out in the fresh, open air. Years ago, a tragedy involving a fire, happened to his family, and Sawyer still has panic attacks when he smells smoke or sees fire. This tragedy also led him to need to feel pain in his life. Cutting himself to get that pain, he has now turned towards BDSM. He isn’t a sub, but he does like to be bottomed by someone who can deal pain to him. A lot of pain. This need and the rumors surrounding the type of men who work at Kick, definitely gets Sawyer interested.
Grady’s unintentional confirmation of the gay Dom rumor had been the catalyst that’d launched Sawyer out of his hermit zone. He was here for eight weeks. A short break in his routine. A chance to explore and hopefully appease the unrest that was growing into a monster he couldn’t control, before he lost the will to control it at all. And maybe, if he played it right, Mr. Preppy could help him out with that.
This Mr. Preppy fellow is our other hero, Asher. By all appearances, Asher looks the opposite of Sawyer.
Mr. Preppy stared intently at his computer, lips compressed into a firm stroke of concentration. Papers were stacked on his desk in disorderly piles that contradicted the pressed lines of his dress shirt. His dress shirt. Seriously? Sawyer glanced down at his own T-shirt and cargo shorts, a smirk layering under his indifference. He didn’t even own hangers. Hell, his flannels were his only shirts with buttons, and he rarely bothered with them.
He is uptight, perfectly dressed, perfect hair and glasses. He runs the technology side of Kick, and is also a sadist. Into the BDSM scene, he loves to give out pain, but has been having trouble finding that perfect partner that wants what he has to give out. Then walks in Sawyer. They have this intense, crackling chemistry between them – but both wary of the other. Sawyer has heard of Asher’s ways..
If the dude was the sadistic fuck he’d been led to believe, then Asher would fit Sawyer’s needs perfectly—as long as he didn’t have to call him “sir.”
When they meet at the local BDSM club, and they realize their needs are reflected in each other, they play together. Asher gives Sawyer that pain he is looking for, and this gives Asher pleasure as well.
Surprising to both of them, their pain play turns into deeper feelings, as Sawyer has to deal with his past and Asher has to admit that he isn’t out to his parents or living the life they want for him.
I thought Asher and Sawyer had the most intense, delicious chemistry. They are both so guarded with their personal lives that sharing things about themselves is hard for them to do. Sawyer has this reckless desire to be hurt – refusing to give Asher limits or guidelines, which pisses Asher off to no end. Asher wants to be a good dominant, which means there must be boundaries. Sawyer starts to learn that taking pain to the point of harm is not healthy, and he can be fulfilled even with limits. Their play together turns so erotic and not to use the word intense again, but intense! I loved their scenes together.
Slowly, the pain play turns into sex, and they realize they like to be with each other. Sawyer hesitantly opens himself up and tells Asher about his past. It’s sweet and you couldn’t help but root for Sawyer to get over his demons.
A great erotic read.
Grade: B+
Whoa baby! This book is sexy…
Sawyer is an outdoor guy – big, shaggy hair, and for the summer has left his Moab, Utah home and traveled to work with Adrenaline Kick Adventures, a company that takes folks white water rafting and other outdoorsy things. This company is also known for…..
He’d agreed solely for the possibilities that came with working with a group of gay Doms. A rumor Kick didn’t advertise, but that still wound its way through the community.
Sawyer is going to be a rafting guide and is happy to be out in the fresh, open air. Years ago, a tragedy involving a fire, happened to his family, and Sawyer still has panic attacks when he smells smoke or sees fire. This tragedy also led him to need to feel pain in his life. Cutting himself to get that pain, he has now turned towards BDSM. He isn’t a sub, but he does like to be bottomed by someone who can deal pain to him. A lot of pain. This need and the rumors surrounding the type of men who work at Kick, definitely gets Sawyer interested.
Grady’s unintentional confirmation of the gay Dom rumor had been the catalyst that’d launched Sawyer out of his hermit zone. He was here for eight weeks. A short break in his routine. A chance to explore and hopefully appease the unrest that was growing into a monster he couldn’t control, before he lost the will to control it at all. And maybe, if he played it right, Mr. Preppy could help him out with that.
This Mr. Preppy fellow is our other hero, Asher. By all appearances, Asher looks the opposite of Sawyer.
Mr. Preppy stared intently at his computer, lips compressed into a firm stroke of concentration. Papers were stacked on his desk in disorderly piles that contradicted the pressed lines of his dress shirt. His dress shirt. Seriously? Sawyer glanced down at his own T-shirt and cargo shorts, a smirk layering under his indifference. He didn’t even own hangers. Hell, his flannels were his only shirts with buttons, and he rarely bothered with them.
He is uptight, perfectly dressed, perfect hair and glasses. He runs the technology side of Kick, and is also a sadist. Into the BDSM scene, he loves to give out pain, but has been having trouble finding that perfect partner that wants what he has to give out. Then walks in Sawyer. They have this intense, crackling chemistry between them – but both wary of the other. Sawyer has heard of Asher’s ways..
If the dude was the sadistic fuck he’d been led to believe, then Asher would fit Sawyer’s needs perfectly—as long as he didn’t have to call him “sir.”
When they meet at the local BDSM club, and they realize their needs are reflected in each other, they play together. Asher gives Sawyer that pain he is looking for, and this gives Asher pleasure as well.
Surprising to both of them, their pain play turns into deeper feelings, as Sawyer has to deal with his past and Asher has to admit that he isn’t out to his parents or living the life they want for him.
I thought Asher and Sawyer had the most intense, delicious chemistry. They are both so guarded with their personal lives that sharing things about themselves is hard for them to do. Sawyer has this reckless desire to be hurt – refusing to give Asher limits or guidelines, which pisses Asher off to no end. Asher wants to be a good dominant, which means there must be boundaries. Sawyer starts to learn that taking pain to the point of harm is not healthy, and he can be fulfilled even with limits. Their play together turns so erotic and not to use the word intense again, but intense! I loved their scenes together.
Slowly, the pain play turns into sex, and they realize they like to be with each other. Sawyer hesitantly opens himself up and tells Asher about his past. It’s sweet and you couldn’t help but root for Sawyer to get over his demons.
A great erotic read.
Grade: B+
September 6, 2016
Leighs review posted at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
After reading the first book in this series, I was looking forward to The Deeper He Hurts. I had some issues with the characters in the previous book, but I liked the world that Lynda Aicher had created and I was loving the idea of some kinky gay ex-Marine Doms!
The Deeper He Hurts focused on the resident nerd and tech guru, Asher. I never really got the nerdy vibe off of him, but rather that of a guy who was introverted and intense. It showed in his work and how he liked to play. His kink was pain, and he enjoyed watching it, giving it, and dissecting the after-effects it had in his partners. This makes it sound as if Asher was a serial killer, but he wasn’t. He was an interesting character, a good man, but he liked to explore his sadistic tendencies with a willing partner. He was careful and caring, but living a double existence as he felt that his family would not understand either his needs or the fact that he was gay.
Sawyer was the perfect match to Asher. As a man with no family and a tragic past, he freely explored his needs without fear. He was a masochist to the core, using it as his way of coping with the wounds of his loss, and he and Asher gave one another what they needed most. They both feared getting too close to someone and caring for them, and were blindsided when their corresponding kinks turned into something much deeper.
What I found extremely interesting about these two is that they didn’t play into stereotypes. There wasn’t a Dom/sub aspect in their relationship but rather one who gave and one who took. But the roles that each assumed in their play were not the same ones that evolved in their romance. While Asher was a sadist who enjoyed giving pain, he was not a Dom, or even a top. In their intimate relationships, Sawyer took on the more aggressive role. But even as the recipient of the pain that Asher doled out, Sawyer was never meek or subservient. Rather he was taunting and strong, egging Asher on to give him what he needed. I found this fascinating and appreciated that it allowed their relationship to transcend any labels. This was a new take on an old kink and I loved it.
While I did really enjoy this story, I did have a few issues with it. First, I never fully understood why Sawyer came to Kick to work. Was it strictly for the job? Was it because he knew of their acceptance of his lifestyle? Or was it specifically to seek out Asher?
And while Asher and Sawyer’s kinks meshed perfectly together, I felt as if these two had more issues than could be resolved by some S&M scenes and a romance. I think they both needed some major therapy!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to meeting more of the guys from Kick. They are dominant and rugged and kinky as hell!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
After reading the first book in this series, I was looking forward to The Deeper He Hurts. I had some issues with the characters in the previous book, but I liked the world that Lynda Aicher had created and I was loving the idea of some kinky gay ex-Marine Doms!
The Deeper He Hurts focused on the resident nerd and tech guru, Asher. I never really got the nerdy vibe off of him, but rather that of a guy who was introverted and intense. It showed in his work and how he liked to play. His kink was pain, and he enjoyed watching it, giving it, and dissecting the after-effects it had in his partners. This makes it sound as if Asher was a serial killer, but he wasn’t. He was an interesting character, a good man, but he liked to explore his sadistic tendencies with a willing partner. He was careful and caring, but living a double existence as he felt that his family would not understand either his needs or the fact that he was gay.
Sawyer was the perfect match to Asher. As a man with no family and a tragic past, he freely explored his needs without fear. He was a masochist to the core, using it as his way of coping with the wounds of his loss, and he and Asher gave one another what they needed most. They both feared getting too close to someone and caring for them, and were blindsided when their corresponding kinks turned into something much deeper.
What I found extremely interesting about these two is that they didn’t play into stereotypes. There wasn’t a Dom/sub aspect in their relationship but rather one who gave and one who took. But the roles that each assumed in their play were not the same ones that evolved in their romance. While Asher was a sadist who enjoyed giving pain, he was not a Dom, or even a top. In their intimate relationships, Sawyer took on the more aggressive role. But even as the recipient of the pain that Asher doled out, Sawyer was never meek or subservient. Rather he was taunting and strong, egging Asher on to give him what he needed. I found this fascinating and appreciated that it allowed their relationship to transcend any labels. This was a new take on an old kink and I loved it.
While I did really enjoy this story, I did have a few issues with it. First, I never fully understood why Sawyer came to Kick to work. Was it strictly for the job? Was it because he knew of their acceptance of his lifestyle? Or was it specifically to seek out Asher?
And while Asher and Sawyer’s kinks meshed perfectly together, I felt as if these two had more issues than could be resolved by some S&M scenes and a romance. I think they both needed some major therapy!
Overall, I really enjoyed this story and am looking forward to meeting more of the guys from Kick. They are dominant and rugged and kinky as hell!
Review copy provided for an honest review.
September 5, 2016
Hmm, this is a hard one to review.
I am a big fan of BDSM and I’ve liked this author’s work before, so this seemed like a slam dunk. I was unpleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case.
While it’s the second book in the series and I haven’t read the first one, I felt like it could be read as a standalone just fine. I don’t know how realistic having a group of gay Doms go into business together is, but okay. So, Asher is very business-oriented. He’s the suit of the group. He does the books, sort of speak, and has an app-developing business on the side. Oh, and he’s a sadist. Sawyer is hired as a rafting guide for the summer. That scene when he enters Asher’s office is boss.
Sawyer’s laugh burst free in a quick flight before he dug in to play. “And your knowledge is?”
Asher leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. “Vast.”
“Massive?”
“Huge.”
“Enormous then?”
Asher’s lips twitched, a spark lighting his eyes, obliterating the stern formality. “And still growing.”
See how fun? They’re flirting, they have chemistry, and the sexual tension is swirling around them. Well, that’s just about where the fun ends. Because Sawyer has a tragic past which has led him to seek out pain in its most vicious form and Asher is more than happy to provide it. Sawyer does not mix pain with pleasure. He is just a hardcore pain slut. Asher tries to infuse their play scenes with sexual pleasure, to combine the two, but Sawyer meets him with resistance. They do have a very steamy sex life, eventually, but there is a disconnect in the formal scenes –they want it for different reasons.
And that’s where my problem was. I am going to echo Dani’s review because I had many of the same issues. Their scenes were borderline torture, with Sawyer refusing to declare any hard limits. And while there is no cure by magic dick, Asher ends up being the catalyst for Sawyer to address his issues. I am not comfortable with BDSM being a way for people to cope with their distress. It was very clear that Sawyer sought out this extreme pain because he wanted to punish himself and suffer. And that’s not sexy –regardless of whether the scene ends with orgasms.
This was a very angsty, heavy book that was mostly challenging to read, if I’m honest. The HEA was good but it did not make up for pages and pages of hurt/comfort and Sawyer turning Asher away. I just wanted more romance.
Read with caution.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Gay Book Reviews.
I am a big fan of BDSM and I’ve liked this author’s work before, so this seemed like a slam dunk. I was unpleasantly surprised to find that wasn’t the case.
While it’s the second book in the series and I haven’t read the first one, I felt like it could be read as a standalone just fine. I don’t know how realistic having a group of gay Doms go into business together is, but okay. So, Asher is very business-oriented. He’s the suit of the group. He does the books, sort of speak, and has an app-developing business on the side. Oh, and he’s a sadist. Sawyer is hired as a rafting guide for the summer. That scene when he enters Asher’s office is boss.
Sawyer’s laugh burst free in a quick flight before he dug in to play. “And your knowledge is?”
Asher leaned forward, clasping his hands on the desk. “Vast.”
“Massive?”
“Huge.”
“Enormous then?”
Asher’s lips twitched, a spark lighting his eyes, obliterating the stern formality. “And still growing.”
See how fun? They’re flirting, they have chemistry, and the sexual tension is swirling around them. Well, that’s just about where the fun ends. Because Sawyer has a tragic past which has led him to seek out pain in its most vicious form and Asher is more than happy to provide it. Sawyer does not mix pain with pleasure. He is just a hardcore pain slut. Asher tries to infuse their play scenes with sexual pleasure, to combine the two, but Sawyer meets him with resistance. They do have a very steamy sex life, eventually, but there is a disconnect in the formal scenes –they want it for different reasons.
And that’s where my problem was. I am going to echo Dani’s review because I had many of the same issues. Their scenes were borderline torture, with Sawyer refusing to declare any hard limits. And while there is no cure by magic dick, Asher ends up being the catalyst for Sawyer to address his issues. I am not comfortable with BDSM being a way for people to cope with their distress. It was very clear that Sawyer sought out this extreme pain because he wanted to punish himself and suffer. And that’s not sexy –regardless of whether the scene ends with orgasms.
This was a very angsty, heavy book that was mostly challenging to read, if I’m honest. The HEA was good but it did not make up for pages and pages of hurt/comfort and Sawyer turning Asher away. I just wanted more romance.
Read with caution.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. See this review on Gay Book Reviews.
July 9, 2016
WOW, Just WOW. This book is a deep emotional read - do not expect some fluffy angst here, just deep raw emotions that will have you weeping like a baby.
Asher is a Partner and the tech guru for Kick, an outdoor adventure sports company, and his one rule for the company is that Partners do not get involved with the tour guides...well that is until he meets Sawyer, the newest white water rafting guide. You should also know that Asher is a sadist and he has one foot very deep into the closet, I say only one foot because his Kick partners know he is gay but his very large Italian family does not. There is a very emotional scene with his Mother later on in the book and boy oh boy was it a tear jerker.
Sawyer is a Pain Slut, the deeper the pain the better for him to loose himself, he even self inflicts the pain on occasion. We find out bits and pieces throughout the book about why he needs and seeks out the pain but it isn't until the last 1/4 of the book that we truly find out what happened, and OH MAN it's a heart breaker.
There's instant chemistry between the two and once they find out their kinks align Asher looks forward to bringing all sorts of pain to Sawyer.
This book was a great addition to the series and I really don't know how Lynda Aicher can top this one but I look forward to reading The Farther He Runs: Kick to see if she can. Brilliant writing pulls you in and makes you feel every bit of pain as if it had been inflicted upon you.
***I have received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept through netgalley in exchange for my honest review*** https://www.netgalley.com/
Asher is a Partner and the tech guru for Kick, an outdoor adventure sports company, and his one rule for the company is that Partners do not get involved with the tour guides...well that is until he meets Sawyer, the newest white water rafting guide. You should also know that Asher is a sadist and he has one foot very deep into the closet, I say only one foot because his Kick partners know he is gay but his very large Italian family does not. There is a very emotional scene with his Mother later on in the book and boy oh boy was it a tear jerker.
Sawyer is a Pain Slut, the deeper the pain the better for him to loose himself, he even self inflicts the pain on occasion. We find out bits and pieces throughout the book about why he needs and seeks out the pain but it isn't until the last 1/4 of the book that we truly find out what happened, and OH MAN it's a heart breaker.
There's instant chemistry between the two and once they find out their kinks align Asher looks forward to bringing all sorts of pain to Sawyer.
This book was a great addition to the series and I really don't know how Lynda Aicher can top this one but I look forward to reading The Farther He Runs: Kick to see if she can. Brilliant writing pulls you in and makes you feel every bit of pain as if it had been inflicted upon you.
***I have received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept through netgalley in exchange for my honest review*** https://www.netgalley.com/
September 27, 2016
"The Deeper He Hurts", is Ms Aicher second book on her Kick Series ; the series focusing on the men of the Oregon based outdoor adventurer company, most of them retired dominant Marines. The exception among them is Asher Ruggerio, "Ash" is not a former arise nor does he consider himself a Dom, Ash is a sadist he enjoys doling out pain, watching how the other deals with it but he has not found the perfect person to play with yet. Ash does not want a sub, he has no desire to dominate and sex is not what drives his kink. Ash however is living a secret life, being gay, being a sadist kept from his family, for fear of loosing them; the only people he can be his true self with the is the other men from Kick.
Enter Sawyer Stevens new hire as a summer white water rafting guide, Sawyer is simply put broken, the loss of his family in a house fire when he was a teenager leaving him alone and feeling guilty for not being home , not dying with them. Sawyer controls his panic, his survivors guilt with pain, he refers to himself as a pain slut. Sawyer has come to kick for a change, perhaps a chance to feel a little again.
These two are inexplicably drawn to one another, Ash drawn I when he catches Sawyer getting ready to cut himself , leading up to caning scene in the woods; Ash plays by the rules though; he may revel in the pain he is dishing out but he expects limits, safe words and after care and his concern for Sawyer is high ;because ,Sawyer states he has no limits, no need for safewords. Ash fears that one day he may meet a sadist that will.take it to far and that Sawyer might just not care or be seeking exactly that.
The more they play together , the more they want of each other.
What neither one of these men expected from their encounter is the want of more together than just the occasional scene.
Ms Aicher unfolds an intense story with S&M, steamy sex scenes and unexpected love opening new doors an revelations for both of these men. Of course all of it leading to an HEA.
Though this book is the second in the series it can be read as a standalone.
Arc Graciuosly supplied via Netgalley for an honest review.
Enter Sawyer Stevens new hire as a summer white water rafting guide, Sawyer is simply put broken, the loss of his family in a house fire when he was a teenager leaving him alone and feeling guilty for not being home , not dying with them. Sawyer controls his panic, his survivors guilt with pain, he refers to himself as a pain slut. Sawyer has come to kick for a change, perhaps a chance to feel a little again.
These two are inexplicably drawn to one another, Ash drawn I when he catches Sawyer getting ready to cut himself , leading up to caning scene in the woods; Ash plays by the rules though; he may revel in the pain he is dishing out but he expects limits, safe words and after care and his concern for Sawyer is high ;because ,Sawyer states he has no limits, no need for safewords. Ash fears that one day he may meet a sadist that will.take it to far and that Sawyer might just not care or be seeking exactly that.
The more they play together , the more they want of each other.
What neither one of these men expected from their encounter is the want of more together than just the occasional scene.
Ms Aicher unfolds an intense story with S&M, steamy sex scenes and unexpected love opening new doors an revelations for both of these men. Of course all of it leading to an HEA.
Though this book is the second in the series it can be read as a standalone.
Arc Graciuosly supplied via Netgalley for an honest review.
September 9, 2016
Well I am a bit conflicted. The Deeper He Hurts is book two in Lynda Aicher's Kick series. I loved book one and I love M/M so I figured it would be a good fit for me. Unfortunately I was off on that-way off.
Asher is a partner at Adrenaline Kick Adventures. He's a control freak with a huge Italian family and he is so far in the closet he can't see straight. He's kept his rendezvous to quick, dirty, and very discreet. Then his axis is thrown for a loop when in walks the newest rafting guide, Sawyer. He is mysterious and rough, and sexy as hell!
Sawyer has embraced the rush of adrenaline that comes from pleasure, ie. rafting, as well as pain. He's a nomad among men, never getting too close. Asher makes him want more. Something lasting. But he can't even tell his family or friends that he's gay. So Sawyer tries to only live in the here and now.
This is where my conflict comes in. Asher is a true sadist. He gets off on pain he inflicts on others. Sawyer is a true pain slut. He gets off on the rush the pain gives him. They are made for each other. Unfortunately I was turned off with their escapades. I am all for reading BDSM, but this isn't even that. They use no safe words of any kind. This was my turn off. Don't get me wrong, all of it was consensual, but it was hard for me to read.
I had hopes that Lynda Aicher would treat us to a HEA and I was happy to get that after all the pain and agony. Yay! Even though this book was not for me, that does not mean you may view it totally different. I am looking forward to reading book three of the Kick series featuring Tanner and Finn!
3 stars/3.5 flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. The rating and review are solely my opinion and in no way was I compensated.
Asher is a partner at Adrenaline Kick Adventures. He's a control freak with a huge Italian family and he is so far in the closet he can't see straight. He's kept his rendezvous to quick, dirty, and very discreet. Then his axis is thrown for a loop when in walks the newest rafting guide, Sawyer. He is mysterious and rough, and sexy as hell!
Sawyer has embraced the rush of adrenaline that comes from pleasure, ie. rafting, as well as pain. He's a nomad among men, never getting too close. Asher makes him want more. Something lasting. But he can't even tell his family or friends that he's gay. So Sawyer tries to only live in the here and now.
This is where my conflict comes in. Asher is a true sadist. He gets off on pain he inflicts on others. Sawyer is a true pain slut. He gets off on the rush the pain gives him. They are made for each other. Unfortunately I was turned off with their escapades. I am all for reading BDSM, but this isn't even that. They use no safe words of any kind. This was my turn off. Don't get me wrong, all of it was consensual, but it was hard for me to read.
I had hopes that Lynda Aicher would treat us to a HEA and I was happy to get that after all the pain and agony. Yay! Even though this book was not for me, that does not mean you may view it totally different. I am looking forward to reading book three of the Kick series featuring Tanner and Finn!
3 stars/3.5 flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. The rating and review are solely my opinion and in no way was I compensated.
September 8, 2016
Trust Lynda Aicher to consistently deliver an emotional and heart tugging story while delving into realms of BDSM play that push the limits. While pain isn't my thing, Sawyer needs it. It's the way he deals with the loss of his family as a teenager, and the only thing that reminds him that he's still alive. Whether it's connected to sexual pleasure or not (and it usually isn't), it's just something that's part of him now. Asher is a sadist, but he is a still a controlled and responsible individual. No matter what happens with his partner, aftercare is as important to him as the scene. When he and Sawyer, the summer hire for Kick's outfitting company connect on their most basic levels, the results are explosive. The sex scenes are visceral, and weren't always easy for me to read, but the connection between Sawyer and Asher totally drew me in and made me root for their happy ending. Though they are a match in terms of their kinks, it takes time for them to trust each other on an emotional level. It seems that no matter what kind of story this author writes, I'm 100% invested in the outcome.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for review.
July 4, 2016
OMG!!!
All the feels I have right now. This book was perfection. I absolutely loved it. And since it has not released yet, I will not spoil it....but suffice it to say...Sawyer and Ash.....these two could not have been more perfect for each other, and they came into each other's life when they NEEDED each other. I was not sure what to expect from Ash after reading book one, but what I got was not what I thought would happen. While he's a sadist he's such a caring, loving man. He see's something in Sawyer from the word go, and he is drawn to him like no other. Sawyer just wants someone to take away the pain, but also inflict the pain to make him forget...or to feel....he has so many issues and hangups from his past he does not think he could ever BE what Ash needs or wants even though he wants the same thing. Gah, these two guys.....This series so far has proven to be one of my favorites-like ever.
And I cannot wait for Finn's story!!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
All the feels I have right now. This book was perfection. I absolutely loved it. And since it has not released yet, I will not spoil it....but suffice it to say...Sawyer and Ash.....these two could not have been more perfect for each other, and they came into each other's life when they NEEDED each other. I was not sure what to expect from Ash after reading book one, but what I got was not what I thought would happen. While he's a sadist he's such a caring, loving man. He see's something in Sawyer from the word go, and he is drawn to him like no other. Sawyer just wants someone to take away the pain, but also inflict the pain to make him forget...or to feel....he has so many issues and hangups from his past he does not think he could ever BE what Ash needs or wants even though he wants the same thing. Gah, these two guys.....This series so far has proven to be one of my favorites-like ever.
And I cannot wait for Finn's story!!
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2016
Originally posted at Heroes and Heartbreakers-http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com...
The second in Lynda Aicher’s BDSM male/male series builds an intense, emotional connection between an uptight sadist and an adrenaline junkie masochist whose personal demons push him to seek out dangerous situations. As this couple’s pain play begins to take on a deeper sensual meaning, their barriers drop right along with their inhibitions. Warning: There are scenes of self harm and extreme pain play scenes.
The second in Lynda Aicher’s BDSM male/male series builds an intense, emotional connection between an uptight sadist and an adrenaline junkie masochist whose personal demons push him to seek out dangerous situations. As this couple’s pain play begins to take on a deeper sensual meaning, their barriers drop right along with their inhibitions. Warning: There are scenes of self harm and extreme pain play scenes.
August 31, 2016
Wow -- so sexy and angsty and just a bit creepy. Impressive emotional insight and great writing
February 7, 2017
I still have a hangover from this book, and telling you guys that I loved it almost doesn't seem like an adequate enough way to describe my reaction to The Deeper He Hurts. First off, I'm a huge Lynda Aicher fan for many reasons, but I am most of all because she is quite simply an outstanding writer. As I've come to expect from her, the tangled emotions between the characters take the forefront in this book meanwhile the acts they engage in only seem to enhance their connection instead of being the primary focus of their relationship. I don't know how Aicher accomplishes this so flawlessly, but I appreciate it more than she will ever know.
"Pain given and received equally in an exchange of need more than power. The connection was alluring and terrifying at once. And potentially filled with more pain than he could handle."
So let's talk more about The Deeper He Hurts...we saw Asher a bit in the first book of this series and I knew he was going to be a captivating Sadist right from the start. I don't know why, but there was just something about him. I was, however, surprised to find just how exceedingly complex of a character he was and with so much depth him, too. On the flip side our masochist, Sawyer, took complex to a whole new level. His past is clouded in so much pain that I could completely understand his no-holds-barred approach to the lifestyle. I'm just glad he found someone like Asher with an intense moral and ethical code, because at the rate Sawyer was going he was going to be joining his family sooner rather than later. He was on a very dangerous path of self-destruction and his pain almost takes your breath away the further you dive into the book. I had tears streaking down my face more than once as I read as a result.
"Their connection sunk deep and solid. So balanced and mutual he was blinded by its power."
Asher and Sawyer's kinks matched in a way I've never seen between two characters on this intense of a level. To say they had chemistry would be a gross understatement, but it was the way their kinks wove into the deeper emotions they shared that really made this book special. Sawyer's need to live in pain perfectly matched Asher's need to inflict it, but their relationship went so much deeper than just the BDSM elements and I think Aicher did an impeccable job showing us that.
"It was the hottest thing Ash had seen in a very long time-if ever. The suffering was evident, but the power behind the pain was intoxicating."
Overall, I still can't get over how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was emotional and powerful and moving and just so incredibly good. Please take my word for it that The Deeper He Hurts was exceptionally great book, and I can't suggest it to you highly enough. And Lynda, you set the bar pretty high with this one, but I'm still eager to read Finn's book next!
*I received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*
For this and more of my reviews, check out my blog
Blending Perspectives Book Reviews
"Pain given and received equally in an exchange of need more than power. The connection was alluring and terrifying at once. And potentially filled with more pain than he could handle."
So let's talk more about The Deeper He Hurts...we saw Asher a bit in the first book of this series and I knew he was going to be a captivating Sadist right from the start. I don't know why, but there was just something about him. I was, however, surprised to find just how exceedingly complex of a character he was and with so much depth him, too. On the flip side our masochist, Sawyer, took complex to a whole new level. His past is clouded in so much pain that I could completely understand his no-holds-barred approach to the lifestyle. I'm just glad he found someone like Asher with an intense moral and ethical code, because at the rate Sawyer was going he was going to be joining his family sooner rather than later. He was on a very dangerous path of self-destruction and his pain almost takes your breath away the further you dive into the book. I had tears streaking down my face more than once as I read as a result.
"Their connection sunk deep and solid. So balanced and mutual he was blinded by its power."
Asher and Sawyer's kinks matched in a way I've never seen between two characters on this intense of a level. To say they had chemistry would be a gross understatement, but it was the way their kinks wove into the deeper emotions they shared that really made this book special. Sawyer's need to live in pain perfectly matched Asher's need to inflict it, but their relationship went so much deeper than just the BDSM elements and I think Aicher did an impeccable job showing us that.
"It was the hottest thing Ash had seen in a very long time-if ever. The suffering was evident, but the power behind the pain was intoxicating."
Overall, I still can't get over how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was emotional and powerful and moving and just so incredibly good. Please take my word for it that The Deeper He Hurts was exceptionally great book, and I can't suggest it to you highly enough. And Lynda, you set the bar pretty high with this one, but I'm still eager to read Finn's book next!
*I received a review copy from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*
For this and more of my reviews, check out my blog
Blending Perspectives Book Reviews
September 7, 2016
My Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It's not very often that you get to see a true sadistic/masochistic relationship in romance, because that can be pretty harsh reading. But this one worked, and I really liked that the two men involved were true sadist/masochist...and that this wasn't about a Dom/sub relationship. These guys are complete equals throughout the book. In fact their roles kind of switch when they are out of a scene and I liked that about them, too.
There's a reason Sawyer likes pain. His life up to this point has been so painful, that he truly doesn't feel anymore. He's pretty much numb to everything and keeps himself separate from other people. Using pain is a way for him to combat that and to connect with life. And I'll admit, both sadism and masochism are not something that I really understand at all, so sometimes this kind of story can be difficult, but I think Lynda Aicher did an amazing job explaining all the reasoning in this one.
I loved Sawyer. He's definitely a tragic hero, with a god-awful past. But he's so lonely and alone. It's hard to not connect with and feel for him.
Asher is alone, too, but in a different way. He has a huge Italian family, but he's lied to them all for so long about who he is...both his sadism and his homosexuality, that he feels like a stranger in their midst. I liked the dichotomy of the guys in totally opposite circumstance, but feeling the same way...alone. These are two men who once they begin to connect, it's obvious how perfect they are together. I loved both of them so much. And on a personal note...these are two VERY sexy guys...Sawyer is a blond, rugged, whitewater rafting guide. He's laidback and very physical. On the other hand, Asher is very corporate. He's a geek. He writes code all day and his life is extremely structured, including his button-up pressed shirts. They are the two extremes, but I found them both to be so visually stimulating (at least in my imagination...LOL).
I've really enjoyed this series. I love the Kick guys and the outdoor adventure outfitter setting. A tragedy starts off the series that sets a tone of high-angst throughout the books that I really enjoyed reading. I cannot wait for Finn's story in book #3.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. It's not very often that you get to see a true sadistic/masochistic relationship in romance, because that can be pretty harsh reading. But this one worked, and I really liked that the two men involved were true sadist/masochist...and that this wasn't about a Dom/sub relationship. These guys are complete equals throughout the book. In fact their roles kind of switch when they are out of a scene and I liked that about them, too.
There's a reason Sawyer likes pain. His life up to this point has been so painful, that he truly doesn't feel anymore. He's pretty much numb to everything and keeps himself separate from other people. Using pain is a way for him to combat that and to connect with life. And I'll admit, both sadism and masochism are not something that I really understand at all, so sometimes this kind of story can be difficult, but I think Lynda Aicher did an amazing job explaining all the reasoning in this one.
I loved Sawyer. He's definitely a tragic hero, with a god-awful past. But he's so lonely and alone. It's hard to not connect with and feel for him.
Asher is alone, too, but in a different way. He has a huge Italian family, but he's lied to them all for so long about who he is...both his sadism and his homosexuality, that he feels like a stranger in their midst. I liked the dichotomy of the guys in totally opposite circumstance, but feeling the same way...alone. These are two men who once they begin to connect, it's obvious how perfect they are together. I loved both of them so much. And on a personal note...these are two VERY sexy guys...Sawyer is a blond, rugged, whitewater rafting guide. He's laidback and very physical. On the other hand, Asher is very corporate. He's a geek. He writes code all day and his life is extremely structured, including his button-up pressed shirts. They are the two extremes, but I found them both to be so visually stimulating (at least in my imagination...LOL).
I've really enjoyed this series. I love the Kick guys and the outdoor adventure outfitter setting. A tragedy starts off the series that sets a tone of high-angst throughout the books that I really enjoyed reading. I cannot wait for Finn's story in book #3.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
October 6, 2016
Twist that dagger of guilt just a little bit deeper and maybe Sawyer will complete his slow bleed out so that he can finally be at rest. This book was painful to read because it was filled with angst and guilt. Sawyer is a man who experienced a terrible traumatic experience and never moved on. It is not to say that he has to move on. What happens is, he is stuck in a vicious loop of self-loathing and isolation. This is what pulls Asher to him because whilst Asher did not experience any tragic event, he is also in an isolated loop. These two men have a common bond which brings them closer together and yet pushes them farther apart.
I can't imagine what it is like to experience Sawyer's pain. Asher's need to hide himself from his conservative macho family is not ideal either. The characters' history and situation in this story is what really makes this book good for me. I enjoyed the relationship struggles between Sawyer and Asher. They show a plausible need for kink and how they work out their problems through physical pain. Yes, yes, I've written before that having "damaged" people play in kink is not the best. Kink isn't supposed to be therapy. The reality of it is, there are a fair share of messed up people who go into kink thinking it will cure or help them. It won't. What will is accepting life happens and building trust through intimacy and open communication. This is what Ms. Aicher shows so well in this story. This moved me and I can appreciate Sawyer's need for physical pain and why he is a masochist. As a person who did use physical pain to alleviate my emotional pain, I can relate to Sawyer.
This slow and steady paced story can be a bit heavy and dreary at times. It is also sweet through the character driven tale. There are surprising moments of hope to shine light in this bleak shadowed world Sawyer keeps himself in. Asher may not be a shining beacon of light, but he is someone who is the other half of Sawyer. Their bittersweet romance is beautiful to witness. This m/m romance is recommended for kinky readers who enjoy a lot of angst, a steady dose of pain with a rainbow promise ending.
*provided by NetGalley
I can't imagine what it is like to experience Sawyer's pain. Asher's need to hide himself from his conservative macho family is not ideal either. The characters' history and situation in this story is what really makes this book good for me. I enjoyed the relationship struggles between Sawyer and Asher. They show a plausible need for kink and how they work out their problems through physical pain. Yes, yes, I've written before that having "damaged" people play in kink is not the best. Kink isn't supposed to be therapy. The reality of it is, there are a fair share of messed up people who go into kink thinking it will cure or help them. It won't. What will is accepting life happens and building trust through intimacy and open communication. This is what Ms. Aicher shows so well in this story. This moved me and I can appreciate Sawyer's need for physical pain and why he is a masochist. As a person who did use physical pain to alleviate my emotional pain, I can relate to Sawyer.
This slow and steady paced story can be a bit heavy and dreary at times. It is also sweet through the character driven tale. There are surprising moments of hope to shine light in this bleak shadowed world Sawyer keeps himself in. Asher may not be a shining beacon of light, but he is someone who is the other half of Sawyer. Their bittersweet romance is beautiful to witness. This m/m romance is recommended for kinky readers who enjoy a lot of angst, a steady dose of pain with a rainbow promise ending.
*provided by NetGalley
August 29, 2016
I was given a copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
For me, the first half of this book was a 2 star read I nearly DNF’d and the second half of the story was a 3.5 star read I quite enjoyed. I’m glad I stuck with the story even though I found the initial sadist/masochist scenes of physical torture quite difficult to read. Beyond the s/m scenes, Asher and Sawyer’s relationship is actually very sweet and their story has more depth to it than the first half suggests.
I am not a fan of this author’s writing style and I found the clunky prose distracting as I tried to get into the book. The story seems to be lacking an introduction and important information needed to set the scene, so I found myself reading very slowly as I scrambled for clues and hints at the start. Once I started enjoying the characters more it bothered me less.
While many of us have become used to light BDSM in our romance, the focus is usually on the domination/submission or punishment/reward elements of the lifestyle. This story focuses on sadism and masochism, pushing past most mainstream writing into scenes of physical torture. I can’t remember many books with scenes quite as disturbing and readers need to be aware that this book contains scenes that are much more extreme than the slightly naughty sexy play we’ve all grown used to reading about.
Readers may want to order a sample before reading this book because the writing style isn’t for everyone. Open minded readers looking for a new kink may enjoy the more extreme BDSM in this story and romance fans will enjoy the complicated, slow build relationship between Sawyer and Asher.
For me, the first half of this book was a 2 star read I nearly DNF’d and the second half of the story was a 3.5 star read I quite enjoyed. I’m glad I stuck with the story even though I found the initial sadist/masochist scenes of physical torture quite difficult to read. Beyond the s/m scenes, Asher and Sawyer’s relationship is actually very sweet and their story has more depth to it than the first half suggests.
I am not a fan of this author’s writing style and I found the clunky prose distracting as I tried to get into the book. The story seems to be lacking an introduction and important information needed to set the scene, so I found myself reading very slowly as I scrambled for clues and hints at the start. Once I started enjoying the characters more it bothered me less.
While many of us have become used to light BDSM in our romance, the focus is usually on the domination/submission or punishment/reward elements of the lifestyle. This story focuses on sadism and masochism, pushing past most mainstream writing into scenes of physical torture. I can’t remember many books with scenes quite as disturbing and readers need to be aware that this book contains scenes that are much more extreme than the slightly naughty sexy play we’ve all grown used to reading about.
Readers may want to order a sample before reading this book because the writing style isn’t for everyone. Open minded readers looking for a new kink may enjoy the more extreme BDSM in this story and romance fans will enjoy the complicated, slow build relationship between Sawyer and Asher.
September 7, 2016
This was definitely one of the more intense sadist books I have read. Asher is a sadist. Sawyer is a pain slut. Together they just may give each other exactly what the other needs.
Sawyer suffered a terrible loss at a young age. He has spent years feeling numb and the only way to escape that is to find someone to give him the kind of pain he needs. That someone has brought him to work at Kick.
Asher is a partner at Kick and also a well known sadist at the Den. He is also in the closet with his family. Since meeting Sawyer he has thought of nothing else. After one scene in the woods, neither one of them can stop thinking about the other.
Sawyer has some strong walls that Asher needs to break through but when he does, it's beautiful. Sawyer and Asher just compliment each other. At times it was really intense to read about but the scenes they did were slowly breaking down those rigid walls Sawyer had built.
At times I would get really frustrated with Sawyer but understood him at the same time. Definitely a great read, if not for everyone.
Sawyer suffered a terrible loss at a young age. He has spent years feeling numb and the only way to escape that is to find someone to give him the kind of pain he needs. That someone has brought him to work at Kick.
Asher is a partner at Kick and also a well known sadist at the Den. He is also in the closet with his family. Since meeting Sawyer he has thought of nothing else. After one scene in the woods, neither one of them can stop thinking about the other.
Sawyer has some strong walls that Asher needs to break through but when he does, it's beautiful. Sawyer and Asher just compliment each other. At times it was really intense to read about but the scenes they did were slowly breaking down those rigid walls Sawyer had built.
At times I would get really frustrated with Sawyer but understood him at the same time. Definitely a great read, if not for everyone.
June 30, 2016
Book 2 in the Kick series
Sawyer seeks physical pain to escape the emotional pain he's been bottling up since the loss of his family when he was 16. He hooks up and moves on, never getting close to anyone or letting anyone close to him.
Asher has been hiding in the closet for years, he can't bring himself to tell his family the truth about himself and while he has his friends in Kick, he pretty much keeps himself to himself.
They meet when Sawyer comes to work at Kick for the summer season, there's an immediate attraction and the sexual tension between them is combustible BUT though they hook up, Sawyer runs at every opportunity. It takes him a very long time to open up to Ash about his past and when he finally does, he runs again.
I enjoyed this but it's definitely not for the faint of heart, some of the scenes between these two are very intense and definitely not for everyone.
*Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Sawyer seeks physical pain to escape the emotional pain he's been bottling up since the loss of his family when he was 16. He hooks up and moves on, never getting close to anyone or letting anyone close to him.
Asher has been hiding in the closet for years, he can't bring himself to tell his family the truth about himself and while he has his friends in Kick, he pretty much keeps himself to himself.
They meet when Sawyer comes to work at Kick for the summer season, there's an immediate attraction and the sexual tension between them is combustible BUT though they hook up, Sawyer runs at every opportunity. It takes him a very long time to open up to Ash about his past and when he finally does, he runs again.
I enjoyed this but it's definitely not for the faint of heart, some of the scenes between these two are very intense and definitely not for everyone.
*Received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
December 19, 2022
I already wasn't a big fan of the first book but had the second one on my to-be-read-pile already, so I decided to give the series another chance.
Unfortunately the second book was neither my cup of tea. Mainly I couldn't connect with the story and it characters.
I felt no chemistry between Sawyer and Ash and everything felt to be based on sex.
I won't continue reading the series.
Unfortunately the second book was neither my cup of tea. Mainly I couldn't connect with the story and it characters.
I felt no chemistry between Sawyer and Ash and everything felt to be based on sex.
I won't continue reading the series.
October 6, 2017
4.25 Stars
August 28, 2016
“Pain given and received equally in an exchange of need more than power.”
It’s only fair to start this review with a warning; it will be more me fan-girling about a book I adored and a story that touched me deeply, than a coherent reflection of my thoughts. And before I get all incoherent and start gushing let me just say that this book went straight to my ‘extra special’ list because it will stay with me for a long time to come.
Lynda Aicher ventures were few romance authors dare to go in The Deeper He Hurts. Just like The Harder He Falls, this book’s story is not quite BDSM. Sure, it plays by the BDSM rules in so far as that safewords are mentioned, but Ash is a sadist rather than a Dom and while Sawyer may be a pain slut, he is nobody’s sub. And that is what makes them perfect play partners, despite the fact that Asher has a rule against relationships with employees and Sawyer doesn’t want, need, or trust connections. Ms Aicher doesn’t flinch away from the thoughts and feelings a sadist harbours anymore than the needs of someone finding release in pain. Those scenes should have been shocking and even hard to read but weren’t. In fact they were stunningly beautiful.
Asher and Sawyer are two men who have convinced themselves that they are better off alone. Asher because he can’t figure out how to come out to his family and Sawyer because he knows, without a shadow of a doubt that to let people into his heart is a sure fire way to loss and pain. And yet, knowing you’re better off on your own with your head doesn’t always mean your heart is on board with the game.
Asher is the first to recognise, acknowledge and also accept the feelings he’s developing for Sawyer. In fact, Asher has no qualms revealing his secrets and darkness to the man he’s falling for. Sawyer on the other hand has built such strong walls around himself that he finds it impossible to open up. Even as he has to acknowledge to himself that Asher has gotten under his skin, he can’t bring himself to accept it; not to himself and especially not to Asher.
“Sawyer hid so much from everyone, he doubted anyone really knew him. Not even himself. Asher’s level of self-awareness was both humbling and terrifying. What would he find if he looked that deeply at himself? If he let anyone else see beneath the layers to who he really was?”
I hurt for Sawyer and I hurt for Asher and yet I cheered whenever they were together, doing what they were perfectly matched to do together. Who knew there was this much beauty in the giving and receiving of pain, just for the sake of pain? Because trust me, the description of the scenes between Asher and Sawyer is nothing short of glorious.
In fact, every single word in The Deeper He Hurts is a thing of beauty. I had so many sentences and paragraphs highlighted in this book it was almost embarrassing. Picking my favourites to share here almost broke my heart, but I managed it.
Sawyer is lonely, and the care Asher takes with him the first time he inflicts his pain is a stark reminder of that loneliness. Especially since the relief only lasts as long as the pain lingers; as soon as it lessens Sawyers need to isolate himself resurfaces with a vengeance, except now he’s had a taste of what could be.
“And he gave him all of it.
Every ounce of the hurt and pleasure that blinded his sight and trembled from his core. The well of emptiness that could only be filled by the pain. The years of isolation and loneliness he’d blocked into survival.
The crazy, mounting yearning to be held. To live instead of survive.
It flew from him until there was nothing left.
Nothing put the pain.”
Ash’s reflections on Sawyer’s self inflicted scars made me pause for thought. Self-harm is of course damaging, but it’s worthwhile reflecting on what it gives to those who indulge in such an escape.
“Whatever had caused every one of these marks would’ve hurt like a son of a bitch. Some deep, others more superficial, each magnificent to Ash. Where others might see ugly and deformed, he saw strength. Courage. Agony challenged and defeated.”
Sawyer needs the pain, even if it is a mixed blessing.
“Every ache was a testament to how alive he was.”
Sawyer feels as guilty about being alive as he’s grateful for it even if he’s convinced he shouldn’t be. He needs the pain to remind himself he’s living, while it also reminds him of those who don’t anymore. He’s pushed his feelings aside for so long, he’s no longer sure who he is and what he’d find if he allowed himself to really look into the heart of himself. Until Sawyer finds the courage to give and feel fully; I’m not ashamed to admit that I cheered—out loud—when that happened.
“His orgasm built from his groin but burst from his heart. It slammed through every fiber, tore from his chest in a long cry, and pierced through the hurt to wipe out the pain.”
The Deeper He Hurts tells a pain filled story without ever becoming overly angsty. It drew me into the minds and lives of two men I couldn’t help loving and rooting for. The sex scenes between them, both those centred around pain and those that were only about giving and receiving tenderness and love, touched me deeply. And just when I thought I’d given all my emotions to this book I came to the dedication which describes this wonderful, amazing, touching and heart-warming story better than I ever could:
“To those who’ve hurt, those who’ve healed, and those who’ve walked the line between both. And to those who understand that sometimes you have to hurt in order to heal.”
Lynda Aicher has never let me down. Every single one of her books made a lasting impression on me. And while I didn’t think it was possible, it is safe to say that she’s getting better with every subsequent book.
It’s only fair to start this review with a warning; it will be more me fan-girling about a book I adored and a story that touched me deeply, than a coherent reflection of my thoughts. And before I get all incoherent and start gushing let me just say that this book went straight to my ‘extra special’ list because it will stay with me for a long time to come.
Lynda Aicher ventures were few romance authors dare to go in The Deeper He Hurts. Just like The Harder He Falls, this book’s story is not quite BDSM. Sure, it plays by the BDSM rules in so far as that safewords are mentioned, but Ash is a sadist rather than a Dom and while Sawyer may be a pain slut, he is nobody’s sub. And that is what makes them perfect play partners, despite the fact that Asher has a rule against relationships with employees and Sawyer doesn’t want, need, or trust connections. Ms Aicher doesn’t flinch away from the thoughts and feelings a sadist harbours anymore than the needs of someone finding release in pain. Those scenes should have been shocking and even hard to read but weren’t. In fact they were stunningly beautiful.
Asher and Sawyer are two men who have convinced themselves that they are better off alone. Asher because he can’t figure out how to come out to his family and Sawyer because he knows, without a shadow of a doubt that to let people into his heart is a sure fire way to loss and pain. And yet, knowing you’re better off on your own with your head doesn’t always mean your heart is on board with the game.
Asher is the first to recognise, acknowledge and also accept the feelings he’s developing for Sawyer. In fact, Asher has no qualms revealing his secrets and darkness to the man he’s falling for. Sawyer on the other hand has built such strong walls around himself that he finds it impossible to open up. Even as he has to acknowledge to himself that Asher has gotten under his skin, he can’t bring himself to accept it; not to himself and especially not to Asher.
“Sawyer hid so much from everyone, he doubted anyone really knew him. Not even himself. Asher’s level of self-awareness was both humbling and terrifying. What would he find if he looked that deeply at himself? If he let anyone else see beneath the layers to who he really was?”
I hurt for Sawyer and I hurt for Asher and yet I cheered whenever they were together, doing what they were perfectly matched to do together. Who knew there was this much beauty in the giving and receiving of pain, just for the sake of pain? Because trust me, the description of the scenes between Asher and Sawyer is nothing short of glorious.
In fact, every single word in The Deeper He Hurts is a thing of beauty. I had so many sentences and paragraphs highlighted in this book it was almost embarrassing. Picking my favourites to share here almost broke my heart, but I managed it.
Sawyer is lonely, and the care Asher takes with him the first time he inflicts his pain is a stark reminder of that loneliness. Especially since the relief only lasts as long as the pain lingers; as soon as it lessens Sawyers need to isolate himself resurfaces with a vengeance, except now he’s had a taste of what could be.
“And he gave him all of it.
Every ounce of the hurt and pleasure that blinded his sight and trembled from his core. The well of emptiness that could only be filled by the pain. The years of isolation and loneliness he’d blocked into survival.
The crazy, mounting yearning to be held. To live instead of survive.
It flew from him until there was nothing left.
Nothing put the pain.”
Ash’s reflections on Sawyer’s self inflicted scars made me pause for thought. Self-harm is of course damaging, but it’s worthwhile reflecting on what it gives to those who indulge in such an escape.
“Whatever had caused every one of these marks would’ve hurt like a son of a bitch. Some deep, others more superficial, each magnificent to Ash. Where others might see ugly and deformed, he saw strength. Courage. Agony challenged and defeated.”
Sawyer needs the pain, even if it is a mixed blessing.
“Every ache was a testament to how alive he was.”
Sawyer feels as guilty about being alive as he’s grateful for it even if he’s convinced he shouldn’t be. He needs the pain to remind himself he’s living, while it also reminds him of those who don’t anymore. He’s pushed his feelings aside for so long, he’s no longer sure who he is and what he’d find if he allowed himself to really look into the heart of himself. Until Sawyer finds the courage to give and feel fully; I’m not ashamed to admit that I cheered—out loud—when that happened.
“His orgasm built from his groin but burst from his heart. It slammed through every fiber, tore from his chest in a long cry, and pierced through the hurt to wipe out the pain.”
The Deeper He Hurts tells a pain filled story without ever becoming overly angsty. It drew me into the minds and lives of two men I couldn’t help loving and rooting for. The sex scenes between them, both those centred around pain and those that were only about giving and receiving tenderness and love, touched me deeply. And just when I thought I’d given all my emotions to this book I came to the dedication which describes this wonderful, amazing, touching and heart-warming story better than I ever could:
“To those who’ve hurt, those who’ve healed, and those who’ve walked the line between both. And to those who understand that sometimes you have to hurt in order to heal.”
Lynda Aicher has never let me down. Every single one of her books made a lasting impression on me. And while I didn’t think it was possible, it is safe to say that she’s getting better with every subsequent book.
August 13, 2017
3,5 -Già meglio del primo. Anche qui interessante l'idea di unire trauma a sesso particolare (sadism -masochismo). Certamente le scene di sesso sono potenti e non lasciano indifferente il lettore :)
Tuttavia, chiuso il libro, Ash e il suo nuovo amore non mi hanno lasciato tanto. Non è una coppia su cui riesco a rimuginare...
Tuttavia, chiuso il libro, Ash e il suo nuovo amore non mi hanno lasciato tanto. Non è una coppia su cui riesco a rimuginare...
August 26, 2017
super bollente.
un sadico e un masochista che si incontrano per caso e nulla sarà più lo stesso.
autrice tra le mie preferite sia nel genere f/m che ora m/m,ottima serie
un sadico e un masochista che si incontrano per caso e nulla sarà più lo stesso.
autrice tra le mie preferite sia nel genere f/m che ora m/m,ottima serie
August 31, 2016
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/08...
The Deeper He Hurts is a dark, emotional romance that captivated me from start to finish. There’s no sophomore slump to Lynda Aicher’s Kick series – Ash and Sawyer’s rocky road to a satisfyingly kinky happily ever after is completely addictive.
One of the things I liked best about the first Kick book, The Harder He Falls, was that the heroes weren’t perfect. Ms. Aicher delivers up two more fantastic, flawed heroes in Ash and Sawyer. Ash is an incredibly intelligent, confident man who comes across as almost icy, but actually has a warm and loving heart. Yet for all that Ash is comfortable with who he is, he’s terrified of coming out to his deeply religious family and has to live with the torment of not being himself around those he loves the most. Asher is also a sadist, one who is becoming less and less enamored with play partners who don’t satisfy or match his needs. Sawyer, in turn, is a man who can’t escape the ghosts of his past. He suffered a tragedy that marked him at an impressionable age and he’s never fully coped. He’s reckless with himself, a self-described “pain slut” who plays without limits. He and Ash click immediately, but even though Ash demands that their encounters have rules, Sawyer’s lack of concern for his own safety scares him.
What starts as a temporary arrangement where pain can be doled out and taken turns into something much more very quickly. Sawyer’s need for pain isn’t sexual, but the unexpected attraction between he and Ash makes him actively want something from a sadist other than pain for the first time. I absolutely loved the intensity mixed with the quiet moments as Ash and Sawyer grow close. Sawyer is quick to smirk and even quicker to run, so it’s not easy for he and Ash to fall in love. The angst of their internal battles was fantastic, and this is coming from a reader who can generally take or leave angst in her romance. It’s no simple matter for either man to find peace or to open themselves up to the possibility of the future they could have. That being said, there was a wealth of quiet, intimate moments and even a few spots of levity that balanced out the heavy emotion and kept The Deeper He Hurts from ever feeling weighed down.
The Deeper He Hurts isn’t for the faint of heart. Ash and Sawyer aren’t Dom and sub, but they are sadist and pain slut. There’s heavy, graphic pain play in this book that won’t appeal to everyone. As a trigger warning, there are also references to self-harm. All of this is part of Ash and Sawyer’s characters and I appreciated that Ms. Aicher showed sensitivity to the subjects and didn’t pay lip service to safety.
I highly recommend The Deeper He Hurts . It’s not an easy read by any means, but Sawyer and Ash’s love story is compelling, emotional, and memorable. I loved it and I can’t wait to read the next Kick book, The Farther He Runs.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Deeper He Hurts is a dark, emotional romance that captivated me from start to finish. There’s no sophomore slump to Lynda Aicher’s Kick series – Ash and Sawyer’s rocky road to a satisfyingly kinky happily ever after is completely addictive.
One of the things I liked best about the first Kick book, The Harder He Falls, was that the heroes weren’t perfect. Ms. Aicher delivers up two more fantastic, flawed heroes in Ash and Sawyer. Ash is an incredibly intelligent, confident man who comes across as almost icy, but actually has a warm and loving heart. Yet for all that Ash is comfortable with who he is, he’s terrified of coming out to his deeply religious family and has to live with the torment of not being himself around those he loves the most. Asher is also a sadist, one who is becoming less and less enamored with play partners who don’t satisfy or match his needs. Sawyer, in turn, is a man who can’t escape the ghosts of his past. He suffered a tragedy that marked him at an impressionable age and he’s never fully coped. He’s reckless with himself, a self-described “pain slut” who plays without limits. He and Ash click immediately, but even though Ash demands that their encounters have rules, Sawyer’s lack of concern for his own safety scares him.
What starts as a temporary arrangement where pain can be doled out and taken turns into something much more very quickly. Sawyer’s need for pain isn’t sexual, but the unexpected attraction between he and Ash makes him actively want something from a sadist other than pain for the first time. I absolutely loved the intensity mixed with the quiet moments as Ash and Sawyer grow close. Sawyer is quick to smirk and even quicker to run, so it’s not easy for he and Ash to fall in love. The angst of their internal battles was fantastic, and this is coming from a reader who can generally take or leave angst in her romance. It’s no simple matter for either man to find peace or to open themselves up to the possibility of the future they could have. That being said, there was a wealth of quiet, intimate moments and even a few spots of levity that balanced out the heavy emotion and kept The Deeper He Hurts from ever feeling weighed down.
The Deeper He Hurts isn’t for the faint of heart. Ash and Sawyer aren’t Dom and sub, but they are sadist and pain slut. There’s heavy, graphic pain play in this book that won’t appeal to everyone. As a trigger warning, there are also references to self-harm. All of this is part of Ash and Sawyer’s characters and I appreciated that Ms. Aicher showed sensitivity to the subjects and didn’t pay lip service to safety.
I highly recommend The Deeper He Hurts . It’s not an easy read by any means, but Sawyer and Ash’s love story is compelling, emotional, and memorable. I loved it and I can’t wait to read the next Kick book, The Farther He Runs.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
August 25, 2016
Pain (noun): the physical feeling caused by disease, injury, or something that hurts the body; mental or emotional suffering: sadness caused by some emotional or mental problem.
This is the story of a man who not only welcomes the first definition of pain, but seeks it out, while at the same time, avoiding the second definition at all costs.
Adrenaline Kick Adventures is not your ordinary outdoor adventure company. No, this one is full of gay men into BDSM. Interesting niche. Ok, so this part was a little farfetched for me, but I'll go with it for the sake of the story. This is also where Sawyer, a new member of the team, meets Asher.
Sawyer is a masochist, or a pain slut, as he was referred to in this story. He's also a bottom, but don't call him a slut.
Asher is a sadist. It's a match made in heaven.
Asher's own company rules about employee fraternization keeps him from indulging, for a while, but lust wins out and it is game on.
The title of this book is based on Sawyer's pain tolerance. However, the deeper he hurts, the more he feels a connection to the person (Asher) delivering the pain, and that brings him closer to the love he has been trying to avoid, due to a trauma from the past. He has found his perfect match in Asher, yet he fights that connection every step of the way.
While I enjoyed the interactions between Asher and Sawyer, I didn't have a real connection to the story. Their lack of communication between the two men at times was frustrating, and I wish they had gotten to know each other on a deeper level, throughout the story, instead of the big last minute revelations.
Overall, if you are looking for a D/s M/M read, something you don't see often, you may want to check this one out.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
This is the story of a man who not only welcomes the first definition of pain, but seeks it out, while at the same time, avoiding the second definition at all costs.
Adrenaline Kick Adventures is not your ordinary outdoor adventure company. No, this one is full of gay men into BDSM. Interesting niche. Ok, so this part was a little farfetched for me, but I'll go with it for the sake of the story. This is also where Sawyer, a new member of the team, meets Asher.
Sawyer is a masochist, or a pain slut, as he was referred to in this story. He's also a bottom, but don't call him a slut.
Asher is a sadist. It's a match made in heaven.
Asher's own company rules about employee fraternization keeps him from indulging, for a while, but lust wins out and it is game on.
The title of this book is based on Sawyer's pain tolerance. However, the deeper he hurts, the more he feels a connection to the person (Asher) delivering the pain, and that brings him closer to the love he has been trying to avoid, due to a trauma from the past. He has found his perfect match in Asher, yet he fights that connection every step of the way.
While I enjoyed the interactions between Asher and Sawyer, I didn't have a real connection to the story. Their lack of communication between the two men at times was frustrating, and I wish they had gotten to know each other on a deeper level, throughout the story, instead of the big last minute revelations.
Overall, if you are looking for a D/s M/M read, something you don't see often, you may want to check this one out.
*An ARC was received for an honest review.
For more reviews, visit
September 8, 2016
*4+ STARS*
THE DEEPER HE HURTS is not light and fluffy BDSM-- it's got hard core Sado-masochistic scenes--but at the root is a heart wrenching love story with two injured souls that in each other find their homes.
Asher is a sadist. He doesn't do relationships, and he's in the closet to his family. But when Sawyer comes Asher's company as a rafting guide, he's intrigued by the man. What he doesn't know is that Sawyer will change his life.
Sawyer wanted to get away from the demons that have haunted him since the loss of his family. He deals with that death through taking pain inflected by his partners. When he winds up at Asher's company to work, he doesn't expect the preppy looking Asher to push his buttons.
One's a sadist the other a masochist, but it's getting to their hearts that can cause the real pain.
So um, this was intense. I'm not usually into heavy S&M stuff but for some reason this book really called to me. Both Sawyer and Asher were so deeply flawed, I wanted them healed.
As I stated earlier, this book is definitely not for those looking for light and fluffy. There is some SERIOUS pain here. One of the last scenes was just so severe I couldn't even believe what I was reading. I thought for sure I was reading it wrong. Although it wasn't always easy to read it, I was rewarded with the story itself which was raw and emotional. Sawyer just ripped my heart out.
THE DEEPER HE HURTS is the second book in the Kick series but can be read as a standalone as I didn't read the first book and I didn't feel like I truly missed anything. I thought the dynamic between the S&M part of Asher and Sawyer's relationship and the sexual part was also interesting because for them it wasn't always the same thing. I also loved hearing Asher's explanation for how he viewed his sadistic side and how he had it since he was kid.
Both of these characters made mistakes and they made me want to just strangle them, but in the end, I couldn't help but root for them to find their HEAs because they truly deserved them. I also loved meeting the other men of Kick and I hope to get to know more about them in future books.
Overall, I thought that this was an intense read. It is NOT going to be for everyone, it was one that was hard for me to put down.
*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
THE DEEPER HE HURTS is not light and fluffy BDSM-- it's got hard core Sado-masochistic scenes--but at the root is a heart wrenching love story with two injured souls that in each other find their homes.
Asher is a sadist. He doesn't do relationships, and he's in the closet to his family. But when Sawyer comes Asher's company as a rafting guide, he's intrigued by the man. What he doesn't know is that Sawyer will change his life.
Sawyer wanted to get away from the demons that have haunted him since the loss of his family. He deals with that death through taking pain inflected by his partners. When he winds up at Asher's company to work, he doesn't expect the preppy looking Asher to push his buttons.
One's a sadist the other a masochist, but it's getting to their hearts that can cause the real pain.
So um, this was intense. I'm not usually into heavy S&M stuff but for some reason this book really called to me. Both Sawyer and Asher were so deeply flawed, I wanted them healed.
As I stated earlier, this book is definitely not for those looking for light and fluffy. There is some SERIOUS pain here. One of the last scenes was just so severe I couldn't even believe what I was reading. I thought for sure I was reading it wrong. Although it wasn't always easy to read it, I was rewarded with the story itself which was raw and emotional. Sawyer just ripped my heart out.
THE DEEPER HE HURTS is the second book in the Kick series but can be read as a standalone as I didn't read the first book and I didn't feel like I truly missed anything. I thought the dynamic between the S&M part of Asher and Sawyer's relationship and the sexual part was also interesting because for them it wasn't always the same thing. I also loved hearing Asher's explanation for how he viewed his sadistic side and how he had it since he was kid.
Both of these characters made mistakes and they made me want to just strangle them, but in the end, I couldn't help but root for them to find their HEAs because they truly deserved them. I also loved meeting the other men of Kick and I hope to get to know more about them in future books.
Overall, I thought that this was an intense read. It is NOT going to be for everyone, it was one that was hard for me to put down.
*Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley and Publisher in exchange for an honest review*
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