Grant is more relaxed in a bondage playroom than he is going on a date, so he's amazed at how strongly he’s attracted to the damaged but brilliant man who arrives in his town. Grant’s job is to assess Matty’s stability to return to the FBI after Jaeger Koning— Matty’s former lover— is charged with multiple assassinations.
Knowing Matty's past poses a danger to his family, Grant is determined to keep his distance, until Matty reveals a submissive side that Grant finds impossible to resist.
(Mirror Series #1)
TAGS: ends in a HEA (Happily Ever After), standalone, true love, BDSM themes, explicit sex. Part of a proposed series but story is complete and concludes.
My first Kirby Crow and it went pretty well. What struck me immediately was the vivid imagery she created; the above quote is but one example. I could feel the sun bleached docks under my feet, hear the cicadas, see the kudzu and smell the salty Gulf air in summer. A true sense of a cozy and lazy beach community was carefully constructed completed with the Grand Dame who rules over everyone and the requisite town whackadoodle.
Grant Baines lives in this quaint seaside (gulfside) town with his sister Andie and his uncle Sam. Grant is an ex-Marine, psychologist and runs a tour company along with helping out wherever he's needed. He's been tasked by the FBI to determine Matty's fitness to return to work after he's been through an ordeal.
Matty is an FBI profiler who was hoodwinked by his ex who turned out to be a notorious serial killer, the Kill Devil, someone Matty had profiled and unwittingly shared classified information with him. By the time he reaches Grant he's skittish and fragile after Jaeger (Kill Devil) has attempted to kill him, been sent to prison and escaped with relative ease. He's now taken to taunting the authorities with just how easily he can evade them.
I don't mind telling you I'm intrigued by this Kill Devil. He's certainly proven himself exceedingly intelligent, charming and diabolical. I could read more about him. I don't know that he loves Matty but he's certainly drawn to him and more than a little bit possessive.
He plays a pivotal role in the suspense plotline which is left open ended, something I liked quite a bit about the story. It wasn't as strong as I anticipated from the blurb, but there was plenty of sex to make up the shortfall.
Matty is submissive and he responds to Grant's dominant persona. The fact that Grant's older doesn't hurt, though I could be leaping to "daddy issues" conclusions. Nevertheless, they certainly have chemistry and they take full advantage of their time together. They mostly engage in D/s with some bondage, lots of biting and light humiliation.
The conclusion felt appropriate given everything that Matty's been through and I liked that he had to make the decision between fear and isolation or life and happiness.
I had a few quibbles...
Matty and Grant fall in instalove which I can kind of understand from Matty's perspective-nothing helps you get over an ex than rebound sex and Grant pushes a lot of Matty's buttons. But Grant...
Grant's got a string of broken hearts behind him being a sought out dom at Torch, the local BDSM club. Many subs have tried to ensnare him and have failed. Instant attraction/lust I can envision but the Mine-ing happened really quickly. Wouldn't a commitmentphobe think twice before barreling down Mine Highway?
I was on my way to Fussytown about the whole doctor/patient relationship violation but Grant pulled it out of that nose dive at the last second.
All in all a pleasant maiden voyage with Ms. Crow and a book I'd recommend to others who like a smutty read with a side of suspense.
A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
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