Review: Power Exchange by A.J Rose

Power Exchange by A.J Rose
Voodoo Lily Press
Novel: 270pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
From the moment Detective Gavin DeGrassi steps into the world of BDSM to solve the brutal slaying of Dom George Kaiser, his course is not his own. Mesmerized by the context in which the victim lived and the images of the lifestyle seared into his soul, Gavin must find a way to navigate these unknown waters. With his personal life in upheaval due to marital trouble, and his professional life uncertain with the assignment of a new partner, Gavin needs all the help he can get understanding the case.

Enter Ben Haverson, a psychologist and a well known Dom. With Ben’s help as a consultant and attention to Gavin's own murky truths, Gavin delves deeper than he ever thought he would into the world of restraints and paddles. Forced to scrutinize his true nature and his innermost desires, Gavin has a choice: keep the fear of submitting at bay, or dive in and solve the case with the knowledge he gains. When another victim is discovered, Gavin’s choice is made for him, and he’s pulled headlong into the deepest, most emotional journey of his life.

Unfortunately for him and Ben, a killer has noticed, has taken stock, and has set his sights on the D/s pair. Can Gavin outwit him, or will his first exchange of power be his last?

Review:
Gavin DeGrassi is hiding deep in the closet, so deep there is glimpses of Narnia in there. He is a Detective who loves his job of helping people and catching the bad guys. He has a wife who doesn't exactly want him working the field but would rather see him climb the justice ladder and sit behind a desk. To make matters worse his parents are on board with his wife Victoria, and they make it a weekly habit to get on his case about starting a family and the dangers of his job. Throw in his diarrhea of the mouth partner and Gavin always finds himself the man in the middle, always trying to smooth things over.

Gavin and his partner are called to the scene of a crime, and it’s a crime unlike anything they've seen before. Looks like a BDSM scene gone badly, but there is underlying of something more sinister at play. This investigation leads them to the bdsm community and Gavin is feeling a serious pull. They will need expert help with this one and in comes Ben Haverson a psychologist and a Dom and Gavin is feeling a serious pull to him too. Things go from bad to worse (well not really) when Gavin walks in on his wife and partner in bed. Suddenly, a weight has been lifted off his shoulder and maybe he can live the life he has always wanted. First things first, he has gotta catch a killer.

Without giving too much away, Gavin is submissive which really comes across from the beginning. The way he was with his wife and is easy going and compassionate nature. He blossoms as a sub with Ben (which I kinda feel is conflict of interest) because with his new discoveries I felt like they pushed him away from doing a good job on his investigation.

I enjoyed the writing a lot, and found myself completely hooked from beginning. I am a sucker for a good D/s story and Power Exchange has that but.... I did have a few problems with it.

• Gavin, he had his head in the clouds. I felt like after his hook up with Ben he completely lost his A-game. 

•  The wife Victoria she just disappeared. She seemed like a stubborn and persevering type of chick, so I cannot understand how she just up and disappeared. Did not work well with her personality.

• The killer, He couldn't have been more obvious if he were wearing neon-flashing lights saying "Killer Here". This irked me and made the ending all lukewarm water. Nothing frustrates me more than an obvious killer *grrrr* and no one sees it.

I did enjoy the slow development of a D/s relationship between Ben and Gavin. It wasn't a rush into the hardcore bondage stuff but a slow grind into them finding what worked for them. On that note, I did not love the characters but did like them. The mystery part was done well up to a point and after it started to feel ridiculous. The excitement I had reading in the beginning slowly started to dwindle and when it was time to catch the killer I could have cared less.

Even with all the things I disliked, I did enjoy a majority of the story and I liked the writing. This publisher seems to be pushing out books I’ve been enjoying a lot.

Should You Read It? Most definitely, if you like BDSM but can't stomach the hardcore kind written in detail. There is something very sweet and captivating about Gavin and Ben's relationship, and if you have no problem with a flaunting killer :D

4 Pants Off