Lighter on the BDSM than other Hammer titles, but it’s one of my favorites
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 9/10
PROS:
- Although there are noticeable similarities in the actions of Michael’s Dom characters, not all of the Hammer characters and relationships are exactly the same. They present a varied view of the BDSM lifestyle, from light to hardcore, casual to lifestyle, intensely private to public.
- I liked reading about a Dom who falls for another macho, masculine guy and not an adorable little twink who’s an obvious bottom. Don’t get me wrong: I love the strong man/twink pairings, but this was something different I haven’t often seen from this author. There’s a lot of jockeying for the upper hand in this relationship. Frank doesn’t just sit back and give up control easily.
- Like many of Michael’s books, this one shows a lot of brief encounters between the two main characters which combine to create a pretty complete picture of their time together. It’s not just the important moments we get to see. It’s the seemingly insignificant ones, too: shopping, simple conversations, quiet nights in, etc. This format makes the relationships seem less dramatic to me and more real.
- There’s a note at the beginning of the book that places the story “immediately after Owned and many years before Bent.” This won’t be important unless you’re a dedicated fan of the Hammer series like I am. But I rejoiced at this little bit of context pertaining to the Hammer universe’s timeline; I’ve puzzled before about how all of the stories fit together.
CON:
- As is common in Michael’s books, there’s a lot of repetition here. The Hammer books tend to be 50 to 80% sex, which becomes monotonous after a while, and in this particular book I noticed that the 2 main guys wink at each other and “chuckle” a LOT. Frank also has an affinity for the phrase “you know it,” which is repetitive in itself but which also reminds me of Rock from Michael’s Jarheads series.
Overall comments: The BDSM here is limited (some toys, light restraint, and a couple scenes of spanking) because Frank isn’t “into” the scene at the beginning of the story and remains very private about it throughout. There are some sweet moments, though, especially after Frank gets over a serious illness and the men have to learn to cope with the long-term effects. The book does jump rather abruptly into the Hammer universe and assume that you know who everyone is without offering much in the way of explanation, but I don’t know that understanding all the characters’ relationships and history is strictly necessary.