City boy Jake has always played it safe. But he has begun to think his life as a reliable accountant is missing something. So, he plans an adventure, hiking the Appalachian Trial alone. But going off-trail, in the middle of a rainstore, isn’t the best idea he has, and Jake soon finds himself at the bottom of a hill, sprained and bruised. In his dazed state, Jake thinks he’s seeing visions when a huge man appears to pluck him out of the wet mud. Levi has no trouble picking the injured young man out of the mud, carrying Jake back to his cabin and tending his wounds. He figures he’ll just patch him up and send Jake back on his way, but the longer the young man is around, the more Levi finds himself drawn to Jake.
“His Submissive” is one of those romances that has a pretty unlikely setup, but once you get past that, it’s got a good enough story and strong enough characters to keep you reading on. Both of the main characters are believable. They are, as is often the case, a little too good to be true, especially when it comes to the whole made-for-each-other story line. The isolated setting for most of the story means there aren’t really any other characters aside from occasional bit players who appear only for a single chapter.
The pacing of the book is quite good; just right for its length. There are a couple of minor dramatic events that help propel the story along at key points, but otherwise it’s very much a slow burn as both characters become acutely aware that their nascent relationship could have a fast-approaching expiration date. It’s one of those plots where you kind of know there’s going to be a happily-ever-after ending, but you just can’t figure out how the two men are going to get there. In the end, it’s a little too convenient but not too far fetched.
The kinky side of the story is a little odd. The scenes are quite hot and perfectly safe, but in way, that’s what makes things seem off. It’s more or less implied that neither man has much experience with BDSM, yet after a brief discussion of safewords, they’re ready to get right down to it. It’s not quite jarring enough to knock you out of the flow of the story, but as the relationship progressed, I found myself wondering how the characters, particularly Levi, came by his skills.
“His Submissive” is available from Amazon.