Best Gay Mystery / Thriller: Safeword by AJ Rose

[reviews_and_ramblings]

The strength of this series lies on its main characters, Ben and Gavin, but also, odd considering they are the villains, the bad ones, the ones the good-boys, like Gavin, are supposed to oppose, but that, in the end, have their reasons, for how much twisted they are, to behave in that way. Like in Power Exchange, also in Safeword, I didn’t feel “happy” the bad one was “stopped”, or at least, it wasn’t a feeling of complete satisfaction, but more like an unavoidable event.

Going back to the main characters, they were beautifully drawn and deep, but there is a big warning, this is not a BDSM novel playing the theme, this is a full immersion in the life, and Ben and Gavin have probably what a real Dom/sub relationship is in reality; Ben, who is not playing to be a Dom, and so he has not the typical physique du role, not only is a Dom, he is a counselor for other Doms, and he has a difficult case in Gavin, who has a PTS syndrome due to their past experience, told in the first novel; Ben, of course, isn’t Gavin’s therapist, Gavin is a sub and he is a patient of Ben’s business partner, a submissive. But Ben will have to work with Gavin in reestablishing their relationship and dynamics.

Aside from some small typos, mostly due, probably, to the fact this is a self-published work, the writing is as beautiful as the characters, dry but, again, deep, able to involve the reader even without the WOW effects sometime mystery/thriller novels are used to display.

Series: Power Exchange
Paperback: 268 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1492119237
ISBN-13: 978-1492119234
Amazon: Safeword
Amazon Kindle: Safeword

Series: Power Exchange
1) Power Exchange: http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3712029.html
2) Safeword



More Reviews by Author at my website: http://www.elisarolle.com/, My Reviews

Comments

[chloris01.livejournal.com]

I read both !
I really like them, especially the second because the thriller part was better handled than is the first book.
And you're right, the characters are very interesting, Ben first. Maybe a little too perfect, but a good character !

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

yes, the characters are really good, and you are right, the mystery in the second book is better handled