Review: Safeword by A.J Rose

Safeword (Power Exchange #2) by A.J Rose
Voodoo Lily Press
Novel: 333pgs
4 Pants Off

Blurb:
Everywhere Detective Gavin DeGrassi looks he’s reminded of his attack by the Breath Play Killer. It’s in the house he lives in with his partner and Dom, Ben Haverson. It’s in the sympathetic yet pitying looks he receives from his fellow detectives when he returns to the force after a year-long hiatus. It’s in the suffocating coddling of his entire family, and the relentless reporter demanding an exclusive of his ordeal.

Most of all, it’s in his lack of submission to Ben, who isn’t convinced Gavin’s recovered enough to trust the power exchange between them.

The miraculous recovery of two teen boys from a twisted kidnapper gives him heart, and Gavin's determined to prove he can handle anything despite increasing strain between him and Ben, painful nightmares, and panic when anyone touches him.

But his next case is too close for comfort: a friend and colleague found raped and murdered in a fate chillingly similar to what could have been his own, and this killer isn’t stopping with one cop. As the body count rises and taunting souvenirs are being hand-delivered to Gavin, he faces a frustrating lack of leads, a crushing need to prove himself, and a sinking suspicion the imprisoned kidnapper’s reach is further than originally thought. A miasma of uncertainty and fear threaten to suffocate him when he asks a question with which he’s overwhelmingly familiar: what happens when a victim is pushed too far?

Review:
Gavin Degrassi is back in the sequel to Power Exchange; he's healing up and trying to get his life back after being violated by a serial killer. There's also the reoccurring guilt he feels everytime, like he could have done more and saved all the boys who lost their lives to the Breath Play killer. After a year long hiatus, Gavin feels ready to head back to work, and with the support of his lover Ben Haverson, Gavin is feeling pretty confident he's ready to dive right back into work.

Thats until his first case feels too close for comfort, someone is killing cops and in a style that is all too familiar to Gavin. Bounded, beaten, and defiled cops are dropping like flies and suddenly Gavin isn't feeling as confident because it brings back bad memories of his own assault at the hands of a killer. To make a bad situation worse, it involves kids, a vile pedophile and Gavin and his partner Myah have their hands full and have to beat the clock before a killer strikes again. Suddenly, the killer is making everything personal by breaking into Gavin's home and leaving him little gifts. Just maybe his job is becoming too much, and its putting a strain on his relationship with the man he loves.

Alright, I have to say I enjoyed the first book a lot more which doesn't mean this book was bad, I just didn't fall in love. I still enjoyed it, but found Gavin to be the same as he was in Power Exchange his head wasn't in the game and once again most things could have been avoided. Hooray for a killer that wasn't obvious and the execution of the overall mystery were well done. Twisted and all kinds of sad, this killer really hit me in the feels; it was a sad out come to a very sad situation. 

The relationship between Gavin and Ben took the backseat in Safeword but it doesn't mean that their relationship didn't play a role. With what happened to them both in the first book there was some hurdles that needed to be jumped for things to be overcome. The BDSM part of it all was very mild, and I sorta missed what their relationship used to be but it was understandable as to why they went easy with D/s thing. My peeve is that Gavin felt like he had to leave his job, and in the end I felt like it was forced on him but that’s just my feelings. 

Overall, I really enjoyed it and it turned out to be a solid written crime novel. With lots of twists and turns along the way, the reader is guaranteed to be kept on his/her toes. 

Should You Read It? Yes, if you enjoyed the first book and wanted to see how Gavin and Ben's relationship progressed. I enjoyed it and found it to be a solidly written sequel.

4 Pants Off

Review: Book #1 Power Exchange

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