Sandra @ My Fiction Nook

I didn't realize this was set in the 1920s when I asked for a copy for review, but after the first few pages, I rolled with it. I didn't mind the setting, but I minded that it wasn't described better, in more detail. I never felt as if this was actually taking place in the roaring 20s, the heyday of Hollywoodland. Some things were addressed, sure, and there weren't any modern conveniences (though showers and heaters that didn't run out of hot water made me question the veracity of those situations), but we didn't get any descriptions of the glamorous side of that era. Perhaps that was intentional. 

I also didn't realize that this was the fifth installment of a series, but it worked well enough as a standalone, as it focused mostly on Vincent and Juan. There was sufficient backstory given, with a bit of infodump, that I didn't have any trouble following along and understanding what was going on and what had happened before.

The romance smacked of insta-lust that turned into love too quickly for my taste, though I liked how the relationship was explored. The BDSM aspects of the story were done well enough for my liking, though a nagging voice in the back of my head wondered for a little while if Juan was so accepting of his role as Vincent's submissive out of fear of losing his job, but then that was addressed. The descriptions of the sexual situations were sufficiently emotional, considering that they were rather explicit, and I believed that the two men truly loved each other. Vincent exhibited the qualities of a good Dom, so I was happy with how he was described. 

The drama and angst - well. Some of it was a wee bit over the top, though I could believe that Juan would resort to extreme measures to keep Vincent safe, and I guess the story needed that sort of breakthrough to get them to where they ended up. 

The writing and dialogue were a little flat on occasion, and felt inorganic, but that may have been because of the time period in which this story took place. 

Overall, not a bad little story from a new to me author.

** I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Pride Promotions in preparation for the upcoming blog tour. A positive review was not promised in return. **