No Glitter Blown

Sweet mercy! This is just delicious. A wonder-filled journey for Spencer as he decides to take the plunge into Market Garden and boy does he grab the golden ring on the first go.Nick... A lithe, leather-clad wet dream for Spencer. In command, he moves in on the new patron as soon as his radar registers a ping. Knowing exactly what Spencer is and what he needs--it is a night to remember. This is all news to Spencer. All of a sudden he's doing things he never imagined he'd do and loving it. Soon the worries about whether he's paying too much becomes, oh hell! How much more can I pay him to ensure I can have this again. A professional Dom, Nick has no problem blowing Spencer's mind. It is the subtle mental processing by Spencer as he wanders this path of sexual awakening that is delightful. That and the acceptance and care that Nick gives him allow him to flourish in other areas of his life. But a professional relationship is not the same thing as a personal one and when boundaries are crossed--there's trouble. The resulting decisions by both Nick and Spencer are fascinating. The interplay between them is scalding hot and the emotions are there but not melodramatically played. This story explores masochism, so a degree of understanding is probably necessary to enjoy it. There is a whipping scene that is pretty epic. That said, the D/s is downright yummy, too. There's a nice building up as the reader follows Spencer's experience, so it is not like getting tossed into the deep end of the pool without warning. Very nice. Very, very nice. And I will mention one other thing. This is one of the best interracial romances I've read in awhile. Some might say there are very few indicators to Spencer, but the fact is you see him as a person not a race. He is a man first. And frankly, unless you've got some fetish with skin then when you're involved with another person you don't notice these things. It's not that they become irrelevant, they are only a fraction of the whole. And Spencer's concerns about it and what made him comfortable and uncomfortable were quietly, but effectively addressed. They were sexy and beautiful. One of a million such configurations.So why not 5 stars? I like to crawl inside characters and while superb, I felt that I was pushed outside and made to bear witness rather than subsume the experience.