Trix

The plot is standard. Clumsy (almost) courtesan is picked by the ruling lord. An uncle (in this case) sets his eyes on said courtesan, while at the same time trying to kill the lord and assume power. Cole had a sassy attitude (and, for some reason, I expected him to be as vivacious as Ryan from "In the Blaze of His Hungers"). But then again, I didn't really get a feel for the characters to empathise with them or care more deeply about what might happen to them. Plus, I was annoyed by the present tense used in the story telling. And why did Darren have to set Cole free? Perhaps the man would have much rather enjoyed being kept as slave, then apprentice a physician. I'm just saying there was that possibility.

For a 1/3 of the book I wasn't sure if I was reading book 2 or 3. It was the same boring stuff: Austin waking up with Hank, morning sex, making breakfast, a blowjob then Hank going off to work. The series had to end with Austin cussing and hitting his mother in a fight for ownership over Hank. Of course, she's now this fat manipulative bitch, hoping to get rich and spoil things between the happily married couple. Luckily, Austin doesn't believe in her tricks and heroically comes to Hank's rescue. Their reward is Angie going away for good and another sex marathon to celebrate they 1 year anniversary.

Whereas in the first book, I thought the details about Austin loving Hank were added to ensure the readers didn't think this was non-con, in this installment they are included to emphasise Austin's feelings for his stepdad/husband. So the story progresses with the happy couple having married and moved to a new city and still enjoying the honeymoon bliss. Then we get a small scene where Hank shows his possessiveness and jealousy (and here I thought they were headed for a threesome) and loses the capital needed for his business to flourish. Life goes on, and Austin finds himself being stalked and almost raped in his own home by a ghost from the past, one of Hank's former employees. Of course, Hank comes right in the nick time and kills him, getting a nice reward for it. So with one smooth kill, we are shown how brave and loving Hank is towards Austin while also ensuring the needed financial capital.

The writing was off putting somewhat since the author seemed intent to highlight the almost daddy issues (though Hank and Austin are in no way related) - "As my ass sat on his lap for the first time, I instantly noticed that Hank, my stepdad, had a massive hard-on." We already knew Hank was his stepdad, why mention it again? And just to be sure there wasn't any idea of rape or pedophilia, we are told (right before the sex begins) that Austin has just turned 18 and that he's been fantasising about Hank doing him. Another thing that I found disturbing was Hank's tendency to use the phrase "pussy hole". However, the sex scene was dirty and hot, in part because of the incest innuendo.

Yet, even if Austin was said to be 18, he felt like a kid, or to possess the mentality of one. I mean, being asked if he wanted to play the wife role or expand his studying, he chose a life with Hank. It was like kicking a dog and expecting him to understand why you hit him in the first place.

I connected emotionally with Tim and it was easy to understand his anxiety at meeting Luke. I found it natural that Tim would distort the memory of their relationship while he had been drinking. It was hard going back to a town filled with drinking memories and friends who knew you more drunk than sober because the craving for a drink never goes away. It’s a constant battle to resist it. And it’s hard dissecting a past relationship, admitting your faults and mistakes and putting aside your pride. And there is always one person who is going to be hurt the most.

Like another member remarked, it’s a depressing book. It’s gloomy and only in the last few pages do you get a ray of hope, however, clearly not enough to dispel the heavy atmosphere felt throughout 95% of the book. Yet that is what I liked about the story. Perhaps you need a certain mood to be able to read this. If the author was able to immerse me in such a degree in the story and make me experience even dark emotions, so much that I even accepted the fact Luke and Tim would go their separate ways (well, the ending comes as a surprise), then how could I not praise the writing?

Will Crane be allowed to go back to China? Who and how would Crane's power be used? How will things progress between the two?